Quality of Life (2004)

Winner of a prestigious Special Mention jury award at the Berlin International Film Festival, Quality of Life is a narrative feature film that tells the gripping and authentic story of Michael "Heir" Rosario and Curtis “Vain” Smith, the most prolific and talented graffiti writers in the Mission District in San Francisco. They live a life of dreary dead-end day jobs and illicit late night graffiti, hitting up spots across the dark walls and lost tunnels of San Francisco. However, one unlucky evening, the boys are busted for painting and everything changes. Faced with restitution and the prospect of serving hard time, Heir and Vain struggle to maintain. As the cops close in again, the paths they choose threaten to unravel their lifelong friendship and, ultimately, their lives. The film stars Lane Garrison in his feature film debut. Garrison co-starred on the hit TV series Prison Break. Directed by Benjamin Morgan and co-written/co-starring former Mission District graffiti writer Brian Burnam, Quality of Life has been widely praised for its raw and authentic look at the graffiti subculture. The film was shot in San Francisco's gritty bohemian Mission District, far from the tourist-friendly cable cars and Golden Gate Bridge.