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A western documentary film that follows three Black cowboys from South Central Los Angeles. In the wake of a stable fire that threatens their way of life, they set out to find purpose, hope and freedom through the cowboy lifestyle. Their journey from the streets of LA to the professional rodeo circuit explores both physical and mental aspects of what it means to be a “cowboy” in the modern world.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipHow to Watch Fire on the Hill: The Cowboys of South Central LA
Fire on the Hill: The Cowboys of South Central LA is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
About the Show
Five miles south of downtown Los Angeles is a place that was, until recent years, known as the murder capital of the world.
For most, South Central LA is synonymous with gang violence, drug trafficking and high amounts of crime. Yet for much of the twentieth century South Central LA was an agricultural boomtown filled with ranchers, farmers and equestrians alike. Since the city’s establishment, Compton and the surrounding neighborhoods have always had a culture of Cowboys. Once common to the dusty dirt roads, this culture has all but disappeared now in a wash of land-hungry developers, apathetic politicians and relentless gang activity.
"Fire on the Hill" tells the story of the South Central and Compton Cowboys and the last strongholds that they have; a horse stable known as the Hill that was mysteriously set on fire in 2012. This is the story of three of those Cowboys and their fight to live out their vision of the West.
