savvysound

The personal story of filmmaker Jen Senko's dad is a cautionary tale many of us can relate to. And it's directly related - we learn - to the disinformation coming from the Right Wing media that has driven so much political acrimony in this country. In fact, the fanatical political divisions in the US are the same ones that divide families on a personal level. By following the thread of American politics and how it relates to the rise of the Right Wing media, Senko builds a solid case. We learn how and why all of this came about.

There have been other films that examined the subject of the Right Wing Media and its negative effects on democracy, but they tend to be dry treatises.

This should be required viewing for anyone who cares about a free and informative media in this country. An important film. And an entertaining one!

As a life-long New Yorker, I have watched as my city became more and more of a mall. A bank or pharmacy on every corner, music clubs mostly gone, West Village a high-end shopping plaza, Indie theatres decimated, neighborhoods homogenized. I could see the problem, but didn't understand just how it had happened. Greed of course, but how?

The Vanishing City explains it all in clear and compelling fashion. Jen Senko and Fiore DeRosa have really done their homework, and the result is a chilling expose. They take both a personal and overall approach, showing how these changes affect real people, and revealing the underlying causes for the "Luxurification" of NYC. It is also a beautiful movie to watch.

A must for anyone who really wants to know what has happened - and continues to happen - to New York City. A warning that no one is safe. And a must for anyone who is considering facing the "Powers that Be" to fight back.