Directed by Kelly Anderson and Allison Lirish Dean ∙ 2012 ∙ United States ∙ 76'

This is a documentary about director Kelly Anderson’s personal journey, as a Brooklyn “gentrifier,” to understand the forces reshaping her neighbourhood along lines of race and class. The story begins when Anderson moves to Brooklyn in 1988, lured by cheap rents and bohemian culture. By the time Michael Bloomberg is elected mayor in 2001, a massive speculative real estate boom is rapidly altering the neighbourhoods she has come to call home.

Anderson watches as an explosion of luxury housing and chain store development spurs bitter conflict over who has a right to live in the city and to determine its future. While some people view these development patterns as ultimately revitalizing the city, to others, they are erasing the eclectic urban fabric, economic and racial diversity, creative alternative culture, and unique local economies that drew them to Brooklyn in the first place. It seems that, no less, than the city’s soul is at stake.

All proceeds generated from the streaming of this video are split between the artists/rights holder and Cinema Politica. To find out more visit cinemapolitica.org.