DECADE OF FIRE Directors: Gretchen Hildebran, Vivian Vazquez Country: USA, Running Time: 75 min
In the 1970s, the Bronx was on fire. Abandoned by city government, nearly a half-million people were displaced as their close-knit, multi-ethnic neighborhood burned, reducing the community to rubble. While insidious government policies caused the devastation, Black and Puerto Rican residents bore the blame. In this story of hope and resistance, Bronx-born Vivian Vazquez exposes the truth about the borough's untold history and reveals how her embattled and maligned community chose to resist, remain and rebuild.
Followed by a Q & A with the filmmakers Preceded by:
GENTRIFICATION EXPRESS Director: Samantha Farinella, Amanda Katz Country: USA, Running Time: 18 min
In early 2016, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his plan for the Brooklyn-Queens Connector (BQX), a streetcar that would run a 16-mile waterfront route from Astoria, Queens to Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The announcement arrived with a publicity campaign that claims the BQX would be a transit option that will, among other things, serve the low-income communities along the corridor. A closer look at the forces pushing the plan and how it will be funded, reveals the displacement of the very communities they are currently trying to sell it to.
Location
Dwyer Cultural Center (View)
258 St. Nicholas Avenue
New York, NY 10027
United States
