'Chicago: America's Hidden War' documentary made by reformed drug lord as call to action

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Dimas Salaberrios is a pastor, a social justice advocate, a filmmaker, a broadcaster and a former drug lord. His new documentary, "Chicago: America's Hidden War," aims to portray the rampant bloodshed devastating the marginalized populations in the city and to be a call to action to viewers.

His former life gave him unusual access to the people in his film.

"Because I was a kingpin drug dealer, I started selling crack cocaine at age 11, I became a drug boss at age 15. I've been doing wars where 30 of my friends were killed," he said. "We started to talk to children about what their life is like, being 11 and 10 years old, where one kid, Quincy, decided to sleep underneath his bed because he saw the bullet holes in his house, right about the pillow space in his room, and he decided it's better to sleep on a wooden floor. Man, that broke my heart."

"There has to be some truce at some point, some willingness to say enough is enough," Salaberrios added.

Salaberrios is from and lives in New York. So why did he feel like he should tell Chicago's story, and offer solutions to its problems?

"Join in with us, and let's go together, arm in arm, to save our city, because it's out of control, man," he said. "It's about 1,500 shooters, 1,500 of them; there's millions of us that are not in that lifestyle. We have people who that are living through this trauma, and we are better than this. Chicago, I want you to know you are better than this."

"Chicago: America's Hidden War" will play for one night only at several Marcus Theater locations on May 20. It will play at 7 p.m. at the following locations: Addison, Country Club Hills, Orland Park, Gurnee Mills, Elgin and Bloomington. For more information visit chicagoshiddenwar.com