Browse Films

Brooklyn Matters is a riveting look at how big real estate, politics, community voices, and the desperate need for jobs and housing clash in one of the largest development proposals in the history of New York City. The film poses vital, timely questions that are relevant to cities across the country: What is the proper use of eminent domain? What role does environmental and economic justice play in government-sponsored projects? Who represents the community? Should traffic-intensive projects be approved without mandatory mitigation measures? Should taxpayer money go to acquire private property for a sports area? What and who determines if an area is "blighted?" Does the public have a right to know about the use of public finances in large-scale real estate projects? Brooklyn Matters brings a depth of expert commentary to the debate and introduces many important community voices that have struggled to be heard on this project. This film's exploration of the risks that come with a concentration of power is important for anyone concerned with who has a voice and who has a vote in shaping the future of our cities.

It can be difficult to clearly communicate to the public the relevant details and urgency of such a complex and fraught project. For this reason BROOKLYN MATTERS is particularly welcome; the film is a clarion call on an issue of great significance.
Richard Moe, President
National Trust for Historic Preservation

Lays bare many of the challenges facing our nation's cities today, but none so compelling as the threat to democracy. Who benefits? Who pays? Most importantly, who decides?
Gregory D. Squires
Professor of Sociology, Public Policy and Public Administration
George Washington University

BROOKLYN MATTERS is a passionate film about the city's soul. In this film we meet people who are struggling to understand the costs and benefits of the biggest mixed-use project to hit New York City in years. The film's empathy with their need for housing and jobs makes Brooklyn's challenge come alive for viewers in all cities of the world.
Sharon Zukin
Professor of Sociology
City University of New York

A dramatic, incisive and clear-eyed portrait that will enliven both graudate and undergraduate courses in urban and community studies, race and class, economic and social justice, and related subjects.
Robert Lake
Professor of Planning and Public Policy
Center for Urban Policy Research
Rutgers University

This is a superb teaching tool. Even those who don't share the advocate's view at the heart of BROOKLYN MATTERS cannot avoid the powerful questions it raises.
Xavier de Souza Briggs
Associate Professor of Sociology and Urban Planning
Director, The Community Problem-Solving Project
MIT

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AWARDS & SCREENINGS:

• PBS National Broadcast
• American Institute of Architects - Center for Architecture
• Planners Network
• Community Economic Justice Series - Neighborhood Development Advocacy Project
• Third Annual Robert A. Catlin Memorial Lecture at The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy