New Film Details Possibilities For the New York Waterfront A new short film that details the history and potential future of the New York City's waterfront had its Queens premiere Monday at Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City, an establishment that is itself leading the way in reclaiming the waterfront. The 30-minute "City of Water" played to an enthralled crowd of residents interested in the river. "We wanted 'City of Water' to tell a story of what could be done with the waterfront," said co-director and producer Loren Talbot.
"Our goal is to have the film used by communities that are dealing with issues involving overdevelopment, lack of public space, and a closed-off waterfront. We hope that it will to start discussions." The film provides a history of the New York City waterfront, starting with its origins as an industrial port.
It follows the decline of industry and into the new zeitgeist for riverview real estate. Beyond the brief history, "City of Water" features interviews with politicians, scholars, and average New Yorkers that explain why public interaction with the waterfront is important. The film also provides examples of how communities have begun to utilize the coastline and water in innovative and enriching ways.
Of the notable New Yorkers interviewed in the film, Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez, offers one of the best argument for opening up the waterfront. She acknowledges the imminent changes that the waterfront is facing, and hopes that it will not just be sold to the highest bidder. "It is the people in the community who know what should be done with the waterfront," she says.
Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff describes the future of the waterfront as "an emerald necklace" around the East River. Also interviewed are Richard Melnick of the Greater Astoria Historical Society and Erik Baard, founder of the Long Island City Community Boathouse. Talbot and her collaborator Jasper Goldman worked on the film for the last two years, finishing it in July and debuting it in Brooklyn during the East River Day events.
Much of their pre-production time was spent simply walking along the waterfront and interacting with the communities that live there. The result of this social research is evident in the finished piece, as stories of communities banding together to save their own portion of the waterfront are interspersed with cinematic aerial shots that trace the outline of the five boroughs from a helicopter. "'City of Water' encapsulates the fulcrum issues that face the waterfront right now," said Roland Lewis, chairman of the East River Waterfront Alliance, an organization that advocates public interaction with the East River and the waterfront.
"Our generation has been presented with a unique opportunity to change the waterfront. The decisions that are facing us right now will affect our grandchildren." The film was extremely well attended by residents of Western Queens.
"We were only expecting 20 or 30 people," said Talbot, "but about 200 came." "Where we are standing right now could have been a monolithic condo tower.
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