BATTLE FOR BROOKLYN HEADING BACK TO…BROOKLYN

The MPI-supported documentary Battle for Brooklyn will screen on Monday, April 15 at the Alamo Drafthouse from 6:00pm – 8:30pm as part of the New York Preservation Film Festival. A panel discussion following the screening will feature Norman Oder, author of the blog Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report; Katia Kelly, whose blog Pardon Me For Asking chronicles development issues in Brooklyn; and one of the filmmakers. Tickets are on sale now.

A feature-length documentary by Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley, Battle for Brooklyn looks at how New York state abused eminent domain law to demolish Brooklyn homes and businesses, paving the way for a commercial development centered on a basketball arena. Following one resident’s lengthy fight to defy his eviction order and keep control of his apartment, the film drew praise from numerous reviewers: The LA Times called it “a deft look at a reluctant crusader and how financial sway and political override can so effectively trump the power of the average citizen.”

Battle for Brooklyn won Best Documentary & Best Film at the 2011 Brooklyn Film Festival, and was one of fifteen films shortlisted for an Academy Award in the Documentary Feature category for the 2012 Oscars. Although it did not make the five final nominees, even being shortlisted was huge recognition for the filmmakers and MPI.