THURSDAY APRIL 2 7:30
WEDNESDAY APRIL 8 10PM
SATURDAY APRIL 25 5PM
EMPIRE CITY
Dir. Michael Blackwood, 1985.
United States. 89 min.
In English.

EMPIRE CITY is a straightforward documentary with a long-form joke underneath its surface. The film begins with notable access to the rich and powerful, and may appear to join their praise of the rapid development and new economic growth for which the ruling wealthy class gleefully takes responsibility. Free market enthusiasts could get lulled into the film only to be taken for a ride through Michael Blackwood’s exploration of class dynamics within the built environment of (mostly) Manhattan.

The film focuses on the history of New York City during its “golden age” of 1830-1930 told from the vantage point of the mid 1980s, as New York’s politicians, real estate developers, and business leaders celebrate the rebound of the city’s economy, and begins to expose the dark side of the new economic engine. This hardly-seen documentary contains an abundance of footage, soundbites, and context from this pivotal time.