The Brick by Brick Film Fest, the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space’s 11th annual film festival, will be held on four nights in a different local community garden or park each night, from Thurs., Sept. 14, to Sun., Sept. 17, showcasing perspectives on urban housing solutions. A total of 10 films will be screened.
The first night of MoRUS’ film festival, hosted at Green Oasis community garden, at 370 E. Eighth St., between Avenues C and D, on Thurs., Sept. 14, at 7 p.m., will feature three documentary films:
1. “Picture the Homeless” (15 mins) — Produced by Not An Alternative
Footage from 2009 action demanding housing for homeless in Chase bank’s vacant lot.
2. “Master of None / Toledo” (15 min) — Directed by Sebastian Gutierrez
Portrait of Mario Bustamante, a Colombian immigrant squatting on the Lower East Side in the ’90s.
3. “The Spark” (1 hour) — Directed by Antoine Harari & Valeria Mazzucchi
A 2021 documentary on the fight to establish a “Zone to Defend” in a rural French commune.
The second night of MoRUS’ film festival, hosted at La Plaza Cultural community garden, at the southwest corner of Ninth Street and Avenue C, on Fri., Sept. 15, at 7 p.m., will feature three documentary films:
1. “Battle to Save La Plaza Cultural” (17 mins) — Produced by Emergency Video Network
A 1988 documentary about an anti-gentrification campaign to save a community garden.
2. “Nubia Way: A story of black-led self building in Lewisham” (17 mins) — Directed by Timi Akindele-Ajani
A 2022 doc of London’s first self-built Black housing co-op from the 1990s.
3. “Rock Soup “(1 hour 20 mins) — Directed by Lech Kowalski
Doc of a soup kitchen serving homeless people in La Plaza Cultural in summer of ’89.
For the third night of MoRUS’s film festival, on Sat., Sept. 16, the museum is partnering with the Anarchist Book Fair to showcase the Emma Goldman Anarchist Film Festival. You can check out the book fair in La Plaza Cultural during the day, then stop by the film screenings at night in Tompkins Square Park at 7 p.m.
The final evening of MoRUS’s film festival, hosted at 6 & B community garden, at Sixth Street and Avenue B, on Sun., Sept. 17, at 7 p.m., will feature three documentary films, including two new films premiering here:
1. “Survival Without Rent” (30 min) — Directed by Katie Heiserman and Elana Meyers
Doc in progress on LES squatters who formed a community of artists and activists.
2. “Sleep on Water” (length TBD) — Directed by Brandon Neubaur + Anne Kickert
Premiere of 2023 doc on boat squatting in NYC.
3. “Battle of Tuntenhaus” (20 min) — Directed by Juliet Bashore.
1993 doc of a queer, anti-fascist squat in East Berlin prior to its eviction by police in 1990.
For more information, visit MoRUS’s Web site.
….no popcorn?…
The sad and tragic reality of Reclaimed Urban Space is that while MORUS shows movies in Community Gardens without popcorn and sells books by “anarchists,” a war is going on in the streets of NYC over reclaimed Urban Space by the City of NY for Immigrants who are arriving in the City in large numbers and the reclaiming is causing people like Curtis Sliwa and many others to advocate hatred and violence against the new class of immigrants. Of course MORUS is so out of touch with reality they are saying nothing about the “war in the neighborhoods” that is happening all over the city now. How about defending these Immigrants and their children, who are actually occupying Urban Spaces far from their birthplaces because of global warming, poverty and the massive violence caused by drug gangs who exist to bring drugs in and sell them to Gringo Americans. At least how about having a community discussion about helping those who are now living in Urban Reclaimed buildings, jails and tents ?
MORUS productions are brought to you by Google and other corporate funding as well as funding from local politicians.