Infrastructure, whether in the form of transit, highways, or public housing, has been used to divide and degrade communities, and yet there are stories of resistance and people fighting to thrive anyway. And in recent years, local governments are learning from past mistakes as they embark on initiatives to weave a more unified city through urban design. Join us for screening of films selected from international and local submissions, including the Swiss filmmaker Zoel Aeschbacher’s narrative short “Bonobo” and local filmmaker Serghino Roosblad‘s documentary film about Oakland’s MacArthur Maze, followed by a lively panel discussion.
Panelists
Ron Sundstrom (Moderator)
Humanities Advisor, SF Urban Film Fest/Professor of Philosophy, University of San Francisco
Rachel Brahinsky
Program Director, Urban & Public Affairs, University of San Francisco
Jose Campos
Manager of Planning and Design Review, Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII)
Joel Ramos
Former Regional Planning Director, TransForm
Serginho Roosblad
Director, “The Maze”
Pam Uzzell
Director, “Welcome to the Neighborhood”
Films
Bonobo
Switzerland | 2018 | 18 mins. | Directed by Zoel Aeschbacher
When the elevator of their public housing breaks down, the fates of Felix, a disabled pensioner, Ana, a single mother struggling with her move and Seydou, a young man passionate about dance, intertwine towards an explosive ending where their limits will be tested.
Hollamby’s Hill
London | 2016 | Documentary | 6 mins. | Directed by Joe Gilbert
Tucked away in South East London is Central Hill housing estate, designed by Edward Hollamby. Like the majority of council housing in London, the estate is under threat by private developers set on demolition and promising ‘regeneration’.
The Maze
USA | 2018 | 24 mins. | Directed by Serginho Roosblad
The MacArthur Maze is one of the most important freeway interchanges in the state of California. But the Maze also cuts through four distinct landscapes that each tell a story of separation and connection.
Welcome to the Neighborhood
USA | 2017 | 27 mins. | Directed by Pamela Uzzell
When artist Mildred Howard, daughter of legendary Berkeley activist Mable Howard, loses her South Berkeley home due to soaring rental prices, it costs Berkeley a piece of its history and its legacy. This story of an African American family illuminates both personal power to create possibilities in adversity, and the broader issue of gentrification and a housing crisis that threatens a community.
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