The Hill

Filmmaker Lisa Molomot's documentary The Hill focuses on the citizens of Prospect Park—a mixed-race district—who not only protested a plan for urban redevelopment, but also took their dispute to federal court. Rather than renovate two area high schools, officials in New Haven, CT, decided to raze three blocks in order to build one magnet school, an action that would displace 94 families. From the city's perspective, construction would create jobs and also allow for the expansion of the Yale-New Haven Hospital, but residents on “the Hill” fear the higher costs of living elsewhere. As the film begins, some have sold their homes, while others are holding out. One resident notes that he has paid off his mortgage, and has no incentive to start all over again (he's also visually impaired, and has memorized the complete interior of his house). Another man, who runs a diner, has been losing money as customers are moving away. Some who originally supported the development change their minds after they see how poorly the implementation is going, and a coalition is formed to hire a civil rights attorney and file suit against the city and the Board of Education. On the plus side, the judge is sympathetic to their concerns, but the timing of the suit proves problematic—by waiting two years to pursue legal action, the litigants end up with a limited range of options. The Hill documents the trial, decision, and paths that the participants end up taking in its wake. Telling a timely human story about the potential downsides of urban planning, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)