TREASURES FROM THE
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
A program of short films from the New York Public Library Reserve Film and Video Collection, selected by Collection Manager, Elena Rossi-Snook.
How Things Get Done (1964. approx. 30 min)
This program focuses on twelve square blocks in New York City and details what occurred when the area was pinpointed for change. It charts the efforts of one New Yorker who rallied community support for the construction of residential housing in the South Houston Street area. The ensuing controversy pitted the commercial sector which provides jobs and tax revenues against New Yorkers' needs for increased housing.
Simpson Street (1977, William Sarokin, approx. 22 min)
Presents an overview of how city politics, red-lining, and the loan companies contributed to the deterioration of housing in the South Bronx. Goes on to highlight the effects of the Casita Maria Cultural Center to reverse the neighborhood's decline.
The Heart Of Loisaida (1979, directed and produced by Beni Matias and Marci Reaven, approx. 30 min)
Shows efforts on New York's Lower East Side to revive abandoned buildings through the work and persistence of the local, predominantly Latino residents.