by Jonathan Olshefski
In a black neighbourhood on the fringe of the social radar in North Philadelphia, Christopher "Quest" Rainey opens the door of his recording studio each week to the adolescents of the neighbourhood, offering them a creative sanctuary and temporary reprieve from the gang-ridden streets. “I’m trying to plant a seed and let it grow”. He makes a living delivering the morning paper while his wife, Ma Quest, moonlights at the women’s shelter. Together they are raising their two children William and PJ. Filmmaker Jonathan Olshefski accompanied the Rainey family over a period of nine years during which QUEST was made - a documentary film that offers unique insights into the lives of extraordinary people who refuse to let themselves be beaten by the gruesome hand of fate.