Most of us don’t think much about recycling. We rinse our yogurt containers, crush our milk cartons, and break down our boxes. But once our trash hits the curb in a blue or a brown or a green bin, we forget about it.

Welcome to Minh Khai, Vietnam – where plastic from all over the world finds new life.

This film, part of a multimedia package produced with Francesca Fenzi, documents the experiences of Minh Khai’s residents as they wrestle with the blessings and curses of an empire built on our trash.

Ghost Ship, a live-work artist space in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, caught fire after a party in December 2016, killing 36 people in total.

The city started cracking down on unpermitted building to prevent similar damage.

A group of artists evicted after the deadly fire are trying to prove that building and living in live-work spaces can be both safe and affordable.

Located at the southeastern corner of San Francisco, the Hunters Point Shipyard was used for nuclear testing during World War II.

Today, many San Franciscans call it home despite great uncertainty rooted in the toxic history.

Many people in California, the biggest state to legalize marijuana so far, want to participate in the green rush.

Oakland is trying to stay ahead of the curve by promoting itself as a hub for marijuana entrepreneurs.

To combat diversity problems in the industry, the city launched the equity program to offer permits for people with marijuana-related convictions.

The program has good intentions, but to truly diversify the marijuana industry in Oakland, more needs to be done.

Taylena Cason Burgan runs VanHook Hardware with her husband, Kent.

The family business has been around for more than a century, yet faces an uncertain future.

Saalih Muhammad left his hometown of Richmond, CA at 16 for a trial at Dinamo Zagreb, one of the most competitive soccer clubs in Eastern Europe.

He encountered racism and wasn't allowed to play due to FIFA regulations on protection of minors.

This video documents the difficulties Muhammad has surmounted before winning the 2017 North American Soccer League title with San Francisco Deltas.

Local flower farms in California are struggling to compete with the influx of imported flowers from overseas.

Some South American countries have developed an industry that produces cut flowers faster and cheaper.

It all stemmed from the Andean Trade Preference Act, which lifted import tax on products from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru.

When Congress passed it, the intention was to push South Americans away from cocaine production.