Still from Detroit Wild City

Remaking the American City
 Every WEDNESDAY in January starting January 4, 2012

NEW YORK- Exit Art’s Digimovies is pleased to announce Remaking the American City, a series of new documentaries on urban development in the U.S.  The films presented in the series explore some of the profound changes that are re-shaping American cities, the urban renewal projects that cities are undertaking in response to those changes, and how communities are responding to those efforts. By examining subjects like gentrification and public housing, these films illustrate how the controversies and debates surrounding city planning give visibility to many of the larger problems plaguing the U.S., such as recession, political and real estate corruption, the decline of industrial production, and class and racial inequality.

THE BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN
dir. Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley, 93 min, 2011, U.S., In English

Wednesday, January 4 at 7:30 PM
Q&A with directors Galinsky and Hawley

Chronicling the civic debate surrounding the controversial Atlantic Yards project, Battle for Brooklyn follows the story of reluctant activist Daniel Goldstein as he struggles to save his home and community from being demolished to make way for a new basketball arena and the densest real estate development in history.  Over the course of seven years, Daniel spearheads the movement against the development plan as he and the community fight tenaciously in the courts, the streets, and the media to stop the abuse of eminent domain and reveal the corruption at the heart of the plan.

Shortlisted for the 2012 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

“An engrossing history lesson.” – Neil Rosen, NY1

“A deft look at a reluctant crusader and how financial sway and political override can so effectively trump the power of the average citizen.” – Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

FOREIGN PARTS
dir. Véréna Paravel and J.P. Sniadecki, 80 min, 2010,  U.S., In English, Spanish and Hebrew w/ English subtitles

Wednesday, January 11 at 7:30 PM
Q&A with co-director Véréna Paravel

With support from Harvard University's Sensory Ethnography Lab, anthropologists Sniadecki and Pereval spent two years in Willets Point, Queens filming this unforgettable portrait of the scrapyards and auto repair shops that lie in the shadow of the New York Mets' Citi Field stadium and its hardscrabble community of workers who face the threat of eminent domain.  Unobtrusive yet precise, the film discovers a neighborhood hiding in plain sight, immersing us in the hustle and bustle of this strange and fascinating industrial enclave where wrecks, refuse and recycling form a thriving commerce.  One of the best films of the year, Foreign Parts is an extraordinary document of a neighborhood facing its inevitable demise under the capitalization of New York’s urban ecology. 

Winner of the Best First Feature prize at the 2010 Locarno International Film Festival

.”..utilizes incisive, striking aesthetics to elicit potent subcultural immersion.” -- Nick Schager, Village Voice

THE PRUITT-IGOE MYTH
dir. Chad Friedrichs, 83 min, 2011, U.S., In English

Wednesday, January 18 at 7:30 PM

Pruitt-Igoe was a low-cost segregated public housing project in St. Louis, MO.  First occupied in 1954 only to be demolished eighteen years later, this ambitious project (designed by World Trade Center architect Minoru Yamasaki) has achieved legendary status as a failure amongst architects, politicians and policy makers.  But what can we learn from its story beyond simplistic conclusions about public housing?  Using poignant testimonies from some of the project’s residents, insights from journalists and sociologists and a wealth of vivid archival footage, director Chad Friedrichs traces the complex story of Pruitt-Igoe from its hopeful beginnings through its violent decay to its notorious implosion.  Taking an expansive approach to the project’s history, Friedrichs explores the social, economic and legislative issues behind the birth and decline of conventional public housing in post-WWII American cities and the personal narratives of those who lived th rough it. 

“[The film] combines concise but thoroughgoing sociological-historical analysis and elegant cinematic resources in service of an uncommonly artful example of film journalism.” – Robert Koehler, Variety

DETROIT WILD CITY
dir. Florent Tillon, 80 min, 2011, France, In English

Wednesday, January 25 at 7:30 PM

This documentary about the life, death, and rebirth of Motor City tells its story through haunting images of urban decay and interviews with residents who are reinventing the city’s future.  The stunning post-apocalyptic landscape of abandoned skyscrapers, empty streets and crumbling factories stand in stark contrast to past images of a thriving metropolis.  Residents describe the transformation they witnessed over their lifetime, and explain how the collapse of industry and infrastructure continues to thwart renewal.  Still, they have found creative ways to survive, and the proliferation of urban farms, wild animals, and micro economies based on barter and trade suggests that Detroit has returned “back to nature” for a second lease on life. 

Synopsis courtesy of Chicago Filmmakers.

“a hypnotic visual exploration of Detroit’s urban landscape” – Peter Knegt, indieWIRE

“An incredibly potent rendering of urban decay.  Easily the most exceptional new film I saw at the Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal this year. – John Semley, Maisonneuve

 Tickets
Tickets are $10 general admission. Tickets are available for purchase at the box office 30 minutes before each screening or anytime on Exit Art’s website HERE.

ABOUT DIGIMOVIES
Digimovies is Exit Art's ongoing, curated showcase of international digital cinema presented in our new movie theater. Programming covers various cinematic genres (drama/fiction, documentary, non-narrative/experimental) and emphasizes the work of emerging directors who are challenging cinematic conventions in provocative and exciting ways. Screenings regularly include in-person and virtual discussions with directors and other guests. In addition to screenings and Q&As, Digimovies presents video production workshops with accomplished directors and video artists.  

ABOUT EXIT ART
Exit Art is an independent vision of contemporary culture that is prepared to react immediately to important issues that affect our lives. We present experimental, historical and unique programming of aesthetic, social, political and environmental issues. Founded in 1982 by Directors Jeanette Ingberman and artist Papo Colo, Exit Art has grown from a pioneering alternative art space into an innovative cultural center that is committed to supporting artists whose work reflects on the socio-political transformations of our time. Exit Art is internationally recognized for its unmatched spirit of inventiveness, curatorial innovation and depth of programming in diverse media. Exit Art is always changing.

EXHIBITION SUPPORT
Digimovies is made possible by a major grant from the Rockefeller Foundation Cultural Innovation Fund with additional support provided by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

General exhibition support provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; Bloomberg LP ; Foundation for Contemporary Arts; The Greenwall Foundation; Jerome Foundation; Lambent Foundation; Lily Auchinclose Foundation; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn; and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts.

Exit Art, 475 Tenth Ave @ 36th Street, 212.966.775, www.exitart.org