{"id":739374,"date":"2026-04-19T20:45:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T20:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/739374\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T20:45:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T20:45:19","slug":"where-im-from-series-reimagines-philly-storytelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/739374\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Where I\u2019m From\u2019 series reimagines Philly storytelling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coli Sylla has built his work around a simple but powerful idea \u2014 every neighborhood<\/a> has a story worth telling, and the people who live there are its most authentic historians.<\/p>\n

What began as a creative curiosity about Philadelphia\u2019s many communities has grown into an independent, grassroots documentary-style series dubbed \u2018Where I\u2019m From<\/a>,\u2019 focused on memory, identity, and lived experience.<\/p>\n

Sylla\u2019s path to this project started in screenwriting in California, where he worked on ghostwritten and uncredited scripts alongside other writing projects. But when he eventually returned to his hometown of Philadelphia, the idea for \u2018Where I\u2019m From\u2019 began to take shape during his commute on SEPTA’s regional rail.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would just be listening to these conversations on the train, and one morning, there was an older couple. I remember the lady saying, \u2018Well, that’s Frankford for you.\u2019 And it dawned on me \u2014 man, I know absolutely nothing about Frankford. It would be interesting to have a podcast about random neighborhoods in Philadelphia and just what it was like growing up there,\u201d remembers Sylla.<\/p>\n

Sylla produced the podcast by traveling through neighborhoods like North Philadelphia, Germantown, and Mount Airy, recording interviews with residents about their experiences and recollections. Although the podcast gained momentum, it was eventually paused due to illness, but Sylla continued working in media. In 2017, the creative even explored a potential adaptation of the concept through a development deal with Vin DiBona\u2019s Fishbowl Worldwide Media (creators of \u2018America\u2019s Funniest Home Videos\u2019).<\/p>\n

However, the project didn\u2019t move forward \u2014 instead, it just needed a pivot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2025, I got laid off from Comcast, and I said to myself: \u2018You know what? This is a low point of my life.\u2019 It was my second time being laid off, and I was struggling with depression. But creativity has always saved me. That creative energy has always invigorated me and guided me and motivated me,\u201d continues Sylla. \u201cI decided I’m going to take this idea and I’m going to resurrect \u2018Where I’m From\u2019, but I’m going to do it as a web series.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drawing inspiration from interview-based YouTube storytelling and reconnecting with past podcast guests, the concept was revamped. The first episode covered Mt. Airy in January, while the second focused on Broad and Olney<\/a> in March.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a screenwriter, I wanted to tell stories and create these worlds that would inspire and motivate people. And as the creator and executive producer of \u2018Where I’m From\u2019, I’m doing exactly what I wanted to do, except I’m not following a script. I’m shaping people’s experiences and creating a story out of what they’re telling me,\u201d explains Sylla.<\/p>\n

When structuring the stories for the series, Sylla always leans into nostalgia. So people will hear snippets of neighborhood tales, community gems, and moments that could have only happened in that specific area.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m not looking for a perfectly structured, well-crafted narrative. I’m looking for somebody to take me into a world and just guide me through it,\u201d continues Sylla. \u201cWe’re doing North Philly, then we’re doing East Oak Lane, West Oak Lane, West Philly, and I\u2019m probably going to call that Season 1. Then we’re going to retool and see if we can find some sponsorship or some branding or some financial support to expand for Season 2 for a greater experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

A key part of that vision for Season 2 includes bringing the series directly into communities through neighborhood block parties and live storytelling activations at cultural events like the Odunde Festival, setting up spaces where people can share memories in real time, either through live recordings or shorter episodes designed for online release. Beyond Philadelphia, Sylla also envisions expanding the concept into other cities in New Jersey, New York, and Atlanta.<\/p>\n

There are some obstacles\u2014like the growing strain on data storage resources, which has been exacerbated by the rise of AI. Increased usage has driven up the cost of SSD and HDD storage for the small team behind the production. But much like its stories, \u2018Where I\u2019m From\u2019 plans on living on.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother does real estate and we were having a conversation. He had mentioned that this is a good resource for new people coming into the city and coming into these neighborhoods, learning what it’s like or what it was like growing up in these areas. We’re housing neighborhood history and defining neighborhood culture\u2014this is a way to preserve that, but it’s also a good resource. I’m hoping that can continue and I’m hoping to really be able to preserve the memories and give a balanced portrayal of some of these neighborhoods,\u201d finishes Sylla.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look at some of the videos on YouTube of North Philadelphia [and it\u2019s] hyperviolent, drug-ridden areas. I’m not saying those don’t exist\u2026but within those experiences are still positive, uplifting, nostalgic and memorable experiences of the people who were living there who may have never had the chance to tell their story. That’s what this is doing\u2014It’s just another voice, another submission to the neighborhood literary canon.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

To learn more and catch future episodes of \u2018Where I\u2019m From\u2019, visit their page on YouTube<\/a>\u00a0 (@WHRMFRM).\u00a0<\/p>\n

MORE: Temple alum takes center stage in \u2018Shucked\u2019 Philly run<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\t\tKeywords<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tPhiladelphia,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t Coli Sylla,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t Where I\u2019m From,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t documentary,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t neighborhoods,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t culture,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t storytelling,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t community,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t media,\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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