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September 15, 2011
'Battle for Brooklyn': A New York neighborhood takes on Forest City real-estate developers in tale of tenacity
The Plain Dealer
by Clint O'Connor
What do they think of Battle for Brooklyn in the Forest City?
"Battle for Brooklyn" teaches about tenacity, access and, most of all, endurance. Co-directors Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley spent eight years chronicling a sorry American saga: the fight between residents and developers over a massive real-estate project in Brooklyn's Prospect Heights neighborhood. It's emblematic of backroom dealings played out in many communities when real-estate developers and politicians join forces and leave average folks little or no voice.
...It's refreshing when citizens give enough of a damn to fight back, especially against corporate Goliaths. Galinsky and Hawley should be applauded for their well-crafted film that helps explain all the cynicism and subterfuge.
..."Battle for Brooklyn" shines a light on the agonizing labyrinth of politicos, committees, corporate PR speak and court delays. It's a familiar story, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow.
Posted by eric at September 15, 2011 12:40 PM