My night in 'The Vanishing City'

Rosier/News
Jen Senko and Fiore Derosa, directors of the new documentary called Vanishing City, pose outside of Katz's Deli on Houston Street.

Ten days are over…what ten days. I don’t know where to start telling you from my New York City trip? But let’s start with the Harlem International Film Festival and the screening of ‘The Vanishing City’ – the New York City documentary Kathryn narrated.

There had been that immense popping up of film screenings in late August and early September. So much little festivals had/will show Kathryn’s projects. I added every new screening in my sidebar (today the screening of 3 Backyards @ Hamptons Film Festival
[Sun, Oct 10, 3:15PM UA East Hampton Theater 5 $20
Mon, Oct 11, 7:00PM UA East Hampton Theater 3 $27]…thanks to Nantz for the finding.)

I lost a little the overview. So I realized just a few days before the start of my New York vacations that two screenings (Harlem + Williamsburg) would be while my 10 days in the city. Because at the WILLiFEST you just could get a day pass, I decided to organize tickets for Harlem. Unfortunately the tickets were available Monday 20th September. But I hit the buy button, knowing that I would meet Susan at Tuesday and she could bring me the print out. [My meeting with Susan…I call it the CI day and will tell you later what happened…there was also a Gary Sinise day…snicker. The vacations were so amazing.]

The whole Thursday my mom and I spent in Prospect Park for geocaching but in the night, we dressed a little nicer and headed off with the subway to Harlem. Driving with the New York subway is another big chapter. Dear, you don`t need a sauna subscription, just stay a few minutes in Fulton/ Nassau-Broadway and then for the ice bath/cooling in one of the MTA trains.

I hoped a tiny bit that Kathryn would join the festival [and I could ask her about the CI news]. Unfortunately she didn`t but Fiore Derosa was there. Now I kick my ass, why not asking about the publish date of the Daily News article…see below. I was Friday in the city and had loved to read it in the newspaper and get my own copy.

The Maysles Institute in 343 Lennox Avenue was a very small independent cinema…just 50 places. There were so many people who wanted to watch the New York City section [beside the screening of The Vanishing City there were three more amazing movies] that they had to open another room and sent the movies via beamer to the other half.

There were a few problems with the technique at the beginning so they had to start the screening five times. I loved the movie about the Picasso from Harlem who drew wonderful pictures at the rolling gates. The movie about the blind man was great too. Both performers were in the screening. Movie number three was a five minute animation…nice, but the other two movies were better and then Kathryn’s movie started. I didn’t get everything but you could feel the annoying about the Bloomberg administration and there tax policy in the theater.

Yes cities changed, Berlin did so much in the last 20 years and I’m angry. I can feel so well that the New York people are worried, too about the changing of their neighborhoods. People who lived 20 or more years in their apartments have to go because the landlord wanted something fancier and then the financial crash destroyed everything and left building lots and lost town houses.

It was amazing to hear Kathryn`s nice voice. First I thought, what just one line and then not more, but in the second half of the movie she is hearable more often. Interesting was that Kathryn was announced in the opening credits, but not in the end titles. But there I could spot Vincent D’Onofrio’s name under special thanks to…

Here you can find the Daily news Article.

…The directors have experienced several sides of New York since each moved here separately from New Jersey in the late 1970s and early '80s. DeRosa has supported himself as a construction worker while pursuing acting and directing in off-Broadway theater; Senko has worked as a presentation artist with financial companies. "The Vanishing City," exec-produced by Oscar-winner Ericka Hampson and narrated by actress Kathryn Erbe ("Law & Order; Criminal Intent"), reflects a love of the entire city and their mutual concern about local government's unspoken policy of what the film terms "luxurification."…

Congratulation to Jen Senko and Fiore Derosa. The Vanishing City won Best feature Documentary at the Williamsburg International Film Festival and Best Short Documentary at the Harlem International Film and was Honorable Mention in The Los Angeles International Film Festival.

It’s a very interesting and informative movie you should try to watch.