CHRISTIANSANDCANNIBALS
TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY FI' YEARS AFTER THE BIRTH OF JESUS
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A FILM BY YOUNG ANT
WHO AM I TO YOU?
CHRISTIANS AND CANNIBALS is the story of a family’s journey from the villages of American Samoa to the ghettos of California.
In search of opportunity, Rodney Asuega Hisatake is adopted by his uncle and brought from Pago Pago, American Samoa to the public housing projects of the Bay Area. As a young man, he begins his path with fifty dollars’ worth of crack cocaine, eventually rising to become one of the Bay's most notorious hustlers.
Bare, discordant, and profoundly vulnerable, the film unfolds as a series of moving portraits, tracing the family’s intertwined lives and offering a meditation on redemption and the quiet power of grace.
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WATCH ON YOUTUBEStill fragments of the film.
Screenings
- APRIL 04, 2025 NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT YALE UNIVERSITY
- OCT 23, 2025 YAY AREA, CALIFORNIA SAN QUENTIN FILM FESTIVAL
- JAN 06, 2026 VIRTUAL THIS IS REVOLUTION PODCAST
After a cool year in the Yale Documentary Film Workshop, I held the World Premiere of my film at a private screening with my homies in the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs Film Society. Black tie and a red carpet.
The film was an Official Selection of the San Quentin Film Festival. I remember visiting my pops when he was locked up there, so it was kinda maney going back in after all these years. The festival itself was ill—current and former prisoners and Hollywood types in the same room, watching movies together, laughing and crying. I'll always have love for SQFF for messing with me.
Media
THIS IS REVOLUTION
I joined Jason Myles of THIS IS REVOLUTION to discuss the structural forces that transformed the Bay Area’s working class into a responsibilized and ultimately discarded subaltern, bypassing the standard tropes of urban dysfunction. It was an examination of how deindustrialization and neoliberal policy engineered an economy of systemic sacrifice, reconstructing my family's history through the lens of political economy.
Check out TIR's website, Patreon, and YouTube.
When Tupac asked the rhetorical question, “How many brothers fell victim to the streets?" in Life Goes On, the documentary film Christians and Cannibals does not attempt to answer it with a body count. Instead, it offers a material analysis of the causal forces that render the youth of urban enclaves fodder for both the prison system and the grave.
Our guest today, Anthony Asuega, turns the lens inward, documenting his own family’s struggle to survive not only the ghettos of the Bay Area, but neoliberal capitalism itself. Anthony’s father—already deceased by the time the film was made—emerges as a central figure, reconstructed through the testimonies of siblings, his children, and an ex-wife. What unfolds is not a Tony Montana–style rags-to-riches glorification of gangster life, but a story of assimilation, cultural exchange, and rupture.
The Samoan experience in the Bay Area is rarely told, often flattened into a generalized Pacific Islander narrative. Christians and Cannibals offers an intimate, fly-on-the-wall account of a first-generation struggle to survive in a rapidly transforming economic landscape. It captures what may be among the first generations denied access to stable, quality employment without formal education—victims of deindustrialization and the global flight of factory labor from the Bay Area to the Sunbelt and then overseas.
In this context, the follies of youthful malfeasance carried a far steeper price. No longer could a young person cycle through crime, land a union factory job, and claw their way into a tenuous middle-class existence. Anthony shows how the foreclosure of legitimate opportunity opens the door to illegal economies and the worship of gangsterism—a life I, too, know well.
What distinguishes Christians and Cannibals is its refusal to become yet another moral rebuke of the so-called underclass. Instead, it is a careful, thoughtful act of storytelling that indicts the system rather than its casualties. What the film exposes is not cultural dysfunction, but an economy of sacrifice—one that strips communities of work, stability, and future, then reclassifies the fallout as personal failure.
These are not tragedies in the abstract, but outcomes that were engineered, normalized, and ultimately forgotten. There is no redemption arc waiting in the wings, no late-stage correction—only an empire that consumes its own margins and calls the wreckage responsibility. The streets are not solely responsible for these deaths. They share that burden with economic policy.
— Jason Myles of This Is Revolution
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Official Soundtrack
Keep Yo' Eyez on the Prize — 1999, Trump Tight Records
SPECIAL THANKS TO: GOD, OUR AIGA, THE TRUMP TIGHT FAMILY-KITA / USO CAR CLUB FAMILY, TUI
SUISALA,
DIAMOND, CROOKED I, ALEX, SNIPES, GOLD TOES, KUTFATHER, TROY P, COCOMO JOE, DAVE, BUDDHA
BOB,
BRANDON, SASSON, FREAKY PHIL, BILLY CASTILLO, KEVIN MITCHELL, ERIC, RUBEN, DEAN, FEATURED
ARTISTS,
STREET TEAMS, LAS, POLO, GINO ALL MY USOS LOCKED UP, EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED AND SHOWED US
LOVE I
KNOW THERE ARE MANY MORE WE DIDN’T MENTION—DON’T WORRY WE AIN’T FORGOT Y’ALL. SHOUT TO ALL
THE USOS IN
SAMOA, NEW ZEALAND, H-TOWN, FRISCO/BAY AREA, L.A., SAN DIEGO, SEATTLE, UTAH, OREGON AND
WORLDWIDE.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THE HATERZ THAT INSPIRED US TO SUCCEED!!
THE CONGLOMERATEEZ — TRUMP TIGHT-USO CAR CLUB-L BROS. ENT.-MIDNITE TERROR ENT-ACE
BEAT-SUCKAFREE
GEAR-BRAND1 DESIGNS-MUCH2MUCH-BIG HEAD ENT-SAMOENOZ ENT-SOMETHIN TERRIBLE RECORDS-BLACK N
BROWN-BUTT
NAKED RECORDS
—
KEEP YOUR EYEZ ON THE PRIZE BUT DON'T LET IT BLIND YOU. TOO MANY OF US THINK WE ARE HUSTLAS
ON THE
RISE AND WE GOT OUR EYES ON THE PRIZE. I DON'T BLAME YOU MY USOS. HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY SEE
THROUGH ALL
THE LIES. IT'S A CRIME AND HEARTBREAKING THAT OUR KIDS ASPIRE TO HAVE GOLD RIMS ON A FANCY
CAR. WHAT
KIND OF EXAMPLE ARE WE GIVING OUR CHILDREN TO GIVE THEM SUCH SMALL DREAMS AND GOALS. IT'S A
TRAP THAT
WE ALL HAVE FELL INTO. AND OUR CHILDREN FOLLOW RIGHT BEHIND US. WE MUST WAKE UP AND OPEN OUR
EYES TO
THE TRUTH. THEY HAVE MISLED ALL OF US TO GO FOR THE QUICK INSTANT SATISFACTION—THE FAST
MONEY, FAST
CARS—ALL WITHIN OUR LITTLE GHETTOS TO TRAP US INSIDE THE POVERTY AND OPPRESSED
NEIGHBORHOODS. EITHER
IN PRISON FOR A DRUG RELATED OFFENSE OR IN A PRISON OF OUR OWN MINDS. IMAGINE BEING BORN,
RAISED AND
DYING RIGHT IN THE GHETTOS. I WANT ALL OF YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE OUT THERE.
THIS WORLD
IS IN YOUR HANDS. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT IN LIFE. YOU CAN TRAVEL THE WHOLE WORLD OVER.
VISIT AND
EXPERIENCE ALL IT HAS TO OFFER. IN THIS CAPITALIST SOCIETY WE LIVE IN WE MUST LIVE BY ITS
GUIDELINES.
I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER ON HOW TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE. I CAN ONLY SUGGEST IT MUST BEGIN IN OUR
CHILDREN.
EDUCATION IS POWER; BEING AWARE IS THE KEY. A SUCCESSFUL CAREER THAT YOU ENJOY IS VITAL.
SURROUND
YOURSELF WITH KINGS AND YOU WILL BE A KING. LETS OPEN OUR EYES AND RECOGNIZE THE BIG
PRIZE—FAMILY,
UNITY, SUCCESSFUL CAREER, PERSONAL CONTENTMENT AND HAPPINESS.
DISC 1
01. "DOG EAT DOG WORLD" (INTRO) — MOVIE CLIP/SCENE
02. "HAVE'EM HATIN" — MAC DRE, YOUNG NADE PRODUCED BY MR. LAID & CHILL BLACK FOR LAIDBLACK PRODUCTIONS — CONCEPT: "R" — CO-PRODUCED: KITA
03. "EYEZ ON THE PRIZE" — PETER GUNZ & LORD TARIQ, KUTFATHER PRODUCED BY JAKE-ONE — CONCEPT: KUTFATHER, "R"
04. "YOU AND YOUR 9MM" — DOWN-N-DIRTY CLICK (DIRTY SOUTH) COURTESY OF SEAN AT COMMERCE ST. RECORDS
05. "NIGHT SHIFT" — SAMOENDS FEAT. RICHIE RICH PRODUCED BY LEV / GRILL STUDIO — CONCEPT: SAMOENDS — BACKING VOCALS: EFRAIN
06. "GAME TRUMP TIGHT" — SNOOP DOGG, JT THE BIGGA FIGGA, KUTFATHER PRODUCED BY JAKE-ONE & VITAMIN "D" — CUTS & SCRATCHES: KUTFATHER — RECORDED AT CONCEPTION RECORDING STUDIOS, SEATTLE, WA
07. "INTERLUDE" — SLIM THE PALE PIMP, SKRILLA MOBB
08. "FOLLOW ME" — BLACK RHINO, SKRILLA MOBB, FLASH PRODUCED BY CRAZY 8 FOR CRAZY HOUSE PRODUCTIONS
09. "ALL DAY" — SAVAGE GENTLEMEN PRODUCED BY LAIDBLACK PRODUCTIONS
10. "ALL MY NIGGAZ" — 2WICE, YUKMOUTH, KNUMBSKULL (LUNIZ), VAS BOSSY COURTESY OF MIKE / PYRAMID RECORDS
11. "SEXY LIL' NEIGHBOR" — DRE DOG AKA ANDRE NICKATINA PRODUCED BY LAIDBLACK PRODUCTIONS — CONCEPT: "R"
12. "MY BLOCKS" — L.C., DOWN-N-DIRTY HUSTLERS PRODUCED BY LAIDBLACK PRODUCTIONS
13. "GOTTA GET MY PAPER RIGHT (OUT OF 10 NIGGAZ AIN'T REAL!)" — COOLIO DA UNDADOGG, USUAL SUSPECTS, BABY BEESH (LATINO VELVET) PRODUCED BY LAIDBLACK PRODUCTIONS
14. "CAN'T GO AGAINST THE GRAIN" — MOVIE CLIP (OUTRO)
DISC 2
01. "DEAD END" (SPOKEN WORD) — IPO PRODUCED BY J DEF FOR KALIFORNIA NOIZE TERRORIST PROD. — RECORDED AT ACE BEAT STUDIOS — ENGINEERED/MIXED BY J DEF
02. "PAPER RIDERZ" — SAMOAENDZ ENT. COURTESY OF SAMOENDZ ENT.
03. "OBEY YO' P.O." — E-40, 2WICE, QURAN COURTESY OF MY NIGGA 2WICE
04. "LACE 'EM UP" — BIG MACK, MAINE-O (11/5), FAMILY TYZ PRODUCED BY LAIDBLACK PRODUCTIONS
05. "PIMP$ & PLAYA$" — SAN QUINN, G-BOOGIE, & DAVEROSKI PRODUCED BY LAIDBLACK PRODUCTIONS — CONCEPT: SNIPES, "R"
06. "IT TAKES DIRT TO MAKE FLOWERS GROW" — MOVIE CLIP/SCENE
07. "IT'S THE MOB" — DUBEE AKA SUGAWOLF, M.O.H. PRODUCED BY LAIDBLACK PRODUCTIONS & M.O.H.
08. "YOU CAN'T LOSE" — B-BOY POSSE, KILOMAI, J-MACK PRODUCED BY LAIDBLACK PRODUCTIONS — CONCEPT: B-BOY POSSE
09. "DREAMS OF BEING RICH" — BIG ROB PRODUCED BY FREAKY PHIL — BACKGROUND VOCALS: ISIAH
10. "SLIPPIN'" — RUSHE PRODUCED BY MAGOO AND DIAMOND (MIDNITE TERROR ENT.)
11. "EASTSIDE 'G' RIDERZ" — BROWN-N-PROUD, BABY BEESH (LATINO VELVET) PRODUCED BY BROWN-N-PROUD
12. "AIN'T NOTHIN' CHANGED" — CALICO, YOUNG AL, PISTAL ("USUAL SUSPECTS") PRODUCED BY LAIDBLACK PRODUCTIONS
13. "MY DESTINY" — USUAL SUSPECTS PRODUCED BY USUAL SUSPECTS
14. "INTRO TO THE FUGITIVE"
15. "THE FUGITIVE" — COUGNUT, GUCE, U.D.I.
16. "OUTRO"
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: "R", SNIPES AND KITA