Survival of the Holy Fool

Survival of the Holy Fool is set in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia and follows the lives of five multigenerational households who have long dealt with unemployment, poverty, and a sense of being left behind after the local lead metal plant closed in the 90s. 

Gentrification is bringing in new families with different values and tensions rise when the newcomers raise concerns about possible lead poisoning. Against the backdrop of an EPA investigation, the humanity of the characters shines through as they wrestle with a variety of challenges: addiction, debt, anxiety, and a need for true connection.

The outcast of Fishtown is the Holy Fool who attempts to lead an exemplary spiritual life in a neighborhood overrun with fear and materialism. The Holy Fool’s neighbors are unsure how to respond to their modern day spiritual pilgrim as she is caught between a neighborhood struggling with its past, present, and a future poisoned by lead and pride.