I first came across Jaz in 2015. I was working a couple of blocks from where he set up his street studio in SOMA, San Francisco. As a painter myself, I found his work captivating and thought it was especially suited to film - full of life and movement, almost like he was tracing a map of the city. 

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At NYU's Graduate Film program, I was given the opportunity to make a documentary about a person I found interesting. I went back to San Francisco and approached Jaz to tell a story about his art. But when I learned more about his life, I realised there was so much more to tell.

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Amidst all the money that has flooded into the Bay Area, it's easy to forget that San Francisco is home to a longstanding housing crisis, with over 8,000 people living homeless in the city. I, like so many, was accustomed to seeing people without homes as a monolithic group all facing the same challenges. My time with Jaz has helped me see how one's housing situation isn't defining of who they are, what they do, or how they live. There is so much to gain from stopping to look a little closer.

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I hope this film about Jaz can help others look a little closer too. His work and his story are beautiful.