Rooftop Films: Brooklyn Transformations July 17, 2010

FREE SHOW!

VENUE
FORT GREENE PARK
The Myrtle Avenue Hill in Ft. Greene Park
FORT GREENE
MYRTLE AND N. PORTLAND, BROOKLYN, NY 11205
Enter the park at Myrtle and N. Portland and walk up the path
8:00 Doors Open
8:30 Films begin

Local filmmakers deal with stolen dogs, dying industries, gentrification and immigration, in fiction and documentaries with that particular Brooklyn flair: sensitive tough guys and boldly smart girls.

Neighborhoods are transformed. Communities are fractured. People change. These shifts are common in Brooklyn and throughout urban America. Whether because of natural disasters (and bureaucratic failures) or aberrant designs (and political acquiescence), when cities are torn asunder the victims are all too often the lower class. But in this program of short films, we have stories in which the changes don't exclusively have negative results. Individuals adapt with remarkable resilience, groups form new bonds, cities find a new face. These films, made entirely by Brooklyn filmmakers--artists in the heart of urban change in America--include personal stories that are by turns quirky, charming, moving and inspiring. This program delves deep into the problems of gentrification and immigration, and digs up hope and happiness.

-Mark Elijah Rosenberg

Presented in partnership with: IFC, New York magazine, Scene: Brooklyn, Brooklyn Arts Council's film and media arts program, in conjunction with Black Brooklyn Renaissance & Council Member Leticia James
THE FILMS

PRINCE/WILLIAM (Keith Miller | Brooklyn, NY | 8 min.)
Prince/William is the true story of a single confrontation over a dog found in a rapidly changing neighborhood. keith-miller.com

SELTZER WORKS (Jessica Edwards | Brooklyn, NY | 7 min.)
In this short and bubbly documentary, the last bottler in Brooklyn fends off the supermarket seltzer take-over and honors this simple drink's place in history. seltzerworks.com

OPEN HOUSE (Diane Nerwen | Brooklyn, NY | 31 min.)
Readily visible under the thin veneer of real estate ads pushing Brooklyn's future as a destination for the moneyed, yet "hip," classes is an urban renewal project on a scale not seen since Robert Moses' "slum" clearance of the 1960's. With images of a neighborhood being literally torn apart by outside developers capitalizing on a frenzied housing market, and locals under pressure to "sell out" while the price is right, this work documents aspects of an incredible drama that has been woefully underreported in the mainstream media. -Peter Scott on dianenerwen.com

NO WARD (Terence Nance | Brooklyn, NY | 11 min.)
A moving documentary about the forced migration of New Orleans residents, who have faced difficulty with remarkable dignity. terrencenance.com

MONROE ST. (Durier Ryan | Brooklyn, NY | 10:10 min.)
A young man from Bed-Stuy keeps his creative aspirations a secret. His camera's lens helps him see the beauty in his neighborhood, but will he be brave enough to share it with the people he loves? A film about finding the courage to open up.

MARIACHI (Elena Greenlee | Brooklyn, NY | 13 min.)
Carlos is a local teen struggling to carve out his identity somewhere between his Mexican-born parents and his Brooklyn-bred peers. An unexpected accident and an ensuing immigration investigation force him into uncharted territory, further from home and closer to finding himself.

LAREDO, TEXAS (Topaz Adizes | Brooklyn, NY | 11 min.)
Rooftop alum and Brooklyn local Adizes returns to Rooftop with this story of tensions among generations of hard-working immigrants. topazadizes.com

Official Website: http://www.rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/26-brooklyn-transformations