In 1995, demolition began on Cabrini Green, Chicago's post-WWII-built high rise apartment complex that, for years, has housed primarily low income African-Americans. Although "The Projects" have been the subject of much negative press over the past two decades as a magnet for drug deals and gang warfare, the interviewees in Ronit Bezalel and Antonio Ferrera's Voices of Cabrini remind outsiders of one overlooked fact: for many, Cabrini Green is a synonym for community. Combining interviews with residents and activists, the film cursorily examines the city's plans to replace Cabrini Green with mixed income townhouses (priced in the $325,000 range) that will, by definition, be affordable only to non-Cabrini residents, forcing the project dwellers into the suburbs where they will face higher prices, endure long commutes, and be separated from family and friends. Although it's easy and just to feel sympathy for the interviewees, the filmmakers' decision--conscious or not--to omit virtually any opposing viewpoint from politicians or members of the business community makes for a rather one-sided, low-budget grassroots effort, with only a handful of "voices" representing a very large issue. Still, the overriding lesson of the film comes through loud and indisputably clear: you don't simply choose to displace an entire community without consulting the people whose lives you're about to radically change. Offering a welcome alternate view of life in the inner city, this short, inexpensive look at family, community, and fair play (or the lack thereof) is recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)
Voices of Cabrini
(1999) 31 min. $29.95. Facets Video. Color cover. ISBN: 1-56580-276-4. Vol. 15, Issue 6
Voices of Cabrini
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