CITYHOOD: THE MOVIE FILMMAKER CHRONICLES SECESSION UPS, DOWNS.

Byline: James Nash Staff Writer

Chris Jurgenson trains his camera on the woman wearing the red-white- and-blue superhero cape, the ``Wonder Woman'' of the San Fernando Valley cityhood campaign.

``Tell me a little about what you know about the secession movement, what it means to you, and why you're here today,'' Jurgenson instructs the woman at a rally for Valley secession.

The woman giggles and admits that she hasn't thoroughly considered the issue. Jurgenson moves on to interview others at the rally.

Even if the ``Wonder Woman'' interview winds up on the cutting-room floor, Jurgenson has plenty of material for his planned documentary on the secession movement. A graduate in photography from California State University, Northridge, he says he has more than 60 hours of videotape capturing moments - profound, profane and mundane - in the secession movement.

Jurgenson said he's no political junkie but is fascinated by the story of neighborhood activists building a political movement to split up the nation's second-largest city.

``This is history happening right now, whichever way it goes,'' he said. ``It's almost like I've got actors acting out in front of me. The actors walk right past and I roll the camera.''

People involved in the movement say Jurgenson has created a valuable historical document, regardless of whether secession passes or fails at the polls on Tuesday.

``I think Chris' activity to record this campaign - which is really an historic campaign - is phenomenal,'' said Jeff Brain, president of Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment and a longtime secession activist. ``We think it will leave a record of how people can work to take back their government.''

Jurgenson, 36, began documenting the secession campaign last year as a producer for a cable television program funded by Valley VOTE. But Jurgenson said he cut his ties with Valley VOTE to produce an independent documentary that shows all sides of the secession debate.

The Winnetka resident won't disclose his own position on secession.

For much of the past year, Jurgenson has shadowed the secession movement with his digital video camera, from strategy planning sessions with a couple of dozen Valley VOTE leaders to rallies that have attracted hundreds.

But will Valley cityhood, a local issue that has attracted some national attention, play in Peoria? The question is on Jurgenson's mind as he ponders how he'd market his finished product.

``It really depends on how good he is,'' said Rick Marks, a broadcast journalism professor at CSUN who does not know Jurgenson. ``There's really a good story here, especially with the passion of the people wanting to secede.''

That story, Marks said, has received only superficial treatment on local news broadcasts.

Jurgenson, however, is looking beyond Los Angeles - and even the United States.

He said he expects his documentary to find the most interest in countries such as China, where experiments in grass-roots democracy are rare or illegal.

Jurgenson said he's financed his project mostly with credit cards, but he's hoping to find a sponsor who will help him assemble about 100 hours of raw footage into a comprehensible package.

Some of the footage is eye-opening, Jurgenson said.

The cameraman said he filmed an obscenity-filled tirade by a cityhood opponent against three secessionists attempting to march in the L.A. Valley Pride Parade in Studio City in September. Jurgenson said he also accompanied a Valley council candidate to the Sunshine Canyon Landfill, where dump workers turned him away and placed their hands over his lens.

Jurgenson said his most stunning moment came after filming state Sen. Richard Alarcon's announcement that he was opposing secession and would not run for Valley mayor. Jurgenson said that when he attempted to talk to Alarcon, the senator became agitated and struck his camera.

An Alarcon spokesman called the allegation ``ridiculous,'' but would not comment on whether the incident happened.

Jurgenson said he hasn't decided how to package the footage - into a short documentary or an hours-long series - but he already has some ideas about his next project.

On a short vacation from documenting the Valley secession movement, Jurgenson visited Hawaii, where he found a grass-roots movement of Hawaiians who want to secede from the United States.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Northridge videographer Chris Jurgenson shoots footage of Valley council candidate Don Larsen.

(2 -- color) Valley council candidate Don Larsen's home-based Ferris wheel, as well as a wealth of campaign signs, are filmed by Chris Jurgenson.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer