From Homeless to Film Composer, 'Skid Row Marathon' Charts Amazing Journey (Exclusive Video)

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The documentary “Skid Row Marathon,” which premiered this week at the Los Angeles Film Festival, chronicles the unlikely path some recovering addicts, alcoholics and convicts have taken from homelessness to marathon running.

But in the case of one of its subjects, Ben Shirley, the path has been even stranger: He went from almost destroying his life through substance abuse to conducting music for the documentary in which he appears, with stops along the way to run a couple of marathons.

The central figure in director Mark Hayes’ film is Craig Mitchell, a Los Angeles superior court judge and former prosecutor who formed a running club for residents of downtown L.A.’s Midnight Mission, which helps men and women from Skid Row turn their lives around. In the film, Judge Mitchell takes three formerly homeless men to a marathon in Ghana, and then raises enough money to take 25 Midnight Mission runners to Rome. (All of them completed the race.)

The film focuses on several different members of the running club, including an aspiring painter, a single mother and Shirley, a former rock musician whose drinking destroyed his career, sent him to the verge of suicide and left him homeless.

“I just drank as much as I could hoping to die,” he said. “I lost everything when I went down [to Skid Row].”

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Shirley has a double moment of triumph in the film, completing the marathon in Rome and also learning while he’s in Italy that he has been accepted into the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The film chronicles his attempts to overcome self-doubt and write and record a composition that will win his acceptance into the program – and composer Kim Planert, who wrote the score to “Skid Row Marathon,” not only used some of Shirley’s music in the film but also brought him into the studio to conduct a section of the score, as the exclusive video documents.

“It was something completely new to be able to ask a person that is on screen and actually lived through it, if the music is honest,” said Planert. “‘Does it have the right emotion? Are we doing the right thing here?'”

Hayes’ film is a straightforward documentary, but tremendously moving; the triumphs of these men and women are hard-fought, and their victories will rouse some viewers to action and bring others to tears. It’s not a spoiler to say that not some have significant setbacks, though the film has chosen to focus on the successes far more than the failures.

The film premiered at LAFF on Saturday and is now looking for distribution.

13 Best Documentaries to Watch on Netflix (Photos)

Documentaries and chill?

If you're getting a bit tired of endlessly scrolling through Netflix movies, try these films on for size.

Added plus: You might even accidentally learn something.
"The 13th"

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Netflix
"Blackfish"

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"The Black Power Mixtape"

This 2011 documentary showcases the evolution of the Black Power Movement by using footage found 30 years after it was shot by Swedish journalists. It covers the time period between 1967 to 1975 and includes interviews from Angela Davis, Huey P. Newton and Eldridge Cleaver, along with others central to the movement.
"The Imposter"

This British-American documentary is about a French imposter, Frédéric Bourdin, who presents himself to a grieving family as their missing boy Nicholas Barclay -- a 13-year-old from Texas who went missing.
"Room 237"

If you've ever wondered what mysteries lied behind Room 237 in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," this is the film for you.

Each segment of the film, focuses on a specific element in "The Shining" and offers different interpretations.
"What Happened, Miss Simone?"

Academy Award-nominated "What Happened, Miss Simone" features previously unreleased footage and interviews with singer Nina Simone's friends and family that tells the life story of the activist and music legend.

The film was also executive produced by Simone's daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly.
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"Into the Abyss"

Werner Herzog's "Into the Abyss" focuses on capital punishment in Texas by profiling Michael Perry, a convicted killer on Death Row for the murder of a 50-year-old nurse, among other crimes.

Some of his interviews were filmed only eight days prior to his execution.

The documentary neither focuses on Perry's innocence nor his guilt.
IFC Films
"Virunga"

This one is for all the animal lovers out there. "Virunga" focuses on four park rangers who risk their lives to protect critically endangered mountain gorillas from poachers in Congo's Virunga National Park.
Grain Media
"Biggie & Tupac"

If you've ever been curious of the mysteries surrounding the deaths of two of rap's most prominent artists, watch "Biggie & Tupac."

While the documentary doesn't give a clear answer of who killed the rap icons, the director suggests that Suge Knight was responsible for the latter's murder.
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"The Invisible War"

While the military is known for fighting our wars overseas, there's one silent battle within the armed forces that few are talking about -- sexual assault.

Kirby Dick's "The Invisible War" features interviews with veterans who share their experiences of sexual assault in the U.S. military.

Cinedigm/Docurama Films
"Super Size Me"

This documentary can pretty much be credited for pushing McDonald's to alter their menu to include more healthy items and getting rid of their super size option.

Morgan Spurlock takes on a 30-day challenge -- he eats at least three meals a day for 30 days from McDonald's. The film documents the changes that occur in his physical appearance, as well as his health.

Roadside Attractions
"20 Feet From Stardom"

Most of us see backup singers providing support to the main act, but rarely do we recognize their talent.

This documentary follows backup singers like Judith Hill, Darlene Love and Merry Clayton and sheds light on their lives through behind-the-scenes footage.
Radius-TWC
"Hot Girls Wanted"

The appropriately titled doc features interviews with several young porn actresses, as they discuss their experiences in the industry.
Netflix