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September 20, 2009

NYC: Film and panel discussion on "Rezoning, Displacement & Building Community Power"

Activist Resource

Date : 20 September 2009
From : 6:00pm To : 9:30pm

Event Description:

Reclaiming Our Communities: Rezoning, Displacement & Building Community Power

Three documentary films and a panel discussion on the gentrification of poor neighborhoods, and the political aspects and human cost.

Featured Films:

"Brooklyn Boondoggle" (2009, 12 mins, http://meerkatmedia.org/goingson/movie-premiere-brooklyn-boondoggle/)

This short documentary explores the highly controversial Atlantic Yards project, questioning the trend of "top-down urban development" and asks, "what if we were allowed to decide the future of our own neighborhoods?"

"Some Place Like Home" (2008, dir Kelly Anderson, 40 mins, http://Furee.org/film/)

A documentary telling the stories of community residents and small businesses that are displaced to make way for high-end retail and luxury condominiums in New York City's Fort Greene and Downtown Brooklyn. From the film blurb: "It reveals practices and policies used to support massive real estate projects as the historical, economic and cultural fabric of the area is torn apart. It follows the battle of community residents and small businesses as they fight for some place like home." Winner of the 2009 PATIOS International Film Festival Rise Up Award.

"Rezoning Harlem" (2008, dirs Natasha Florentino & Tamara Gubernat, 45 mins, http://RezoningHarlem.com/)

The film follows longtime members of the Harlem community as they fight a 2008 rezoning. From the film blurb: "... [The rezoning] threatens to erase the history and culture of their legendary neighborhood and replace it with luxury housing, offices, and big-box retail. A shocking expose of how a group of ordinary citizens, who are passionate about the future of one the city's most treasured neighborhoods, are systematically shut out of the city's decision-making process, revealing New York City's broken public review system and provoking discussion on what we can do about it."

Panelists:

  • Maisha Morales: Furee Board Member and Small Business Owner (featured in film).
  • Joy Chatel: Furee Board Member, Executive Director of Friends 227 Abolitionist Place Museum and Cultural Center, Director of 4 Boroughs Preservation Society (featured in film).
  • Raul Rothblatt of Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn
  • Tom Angotti: Urban planner and author of "New York for Sale"

Cost: $7-$10 sliding scale.

Location: The Tank 354 West 45th Street New York, NY 10036

Contact: 718 852-2960 x. 301, or via the email address below.

Sponsored by: Families United for Racial & Economic Equality (FUREE) & Harlem Rezoning.

Posted by steve at September 20, 2009 9:56 AM