Syracuse organizations come together to host 3-part documentary series
Courtesy of City of Trees
Crew films a scene for "City of Trees" documentary. The film will be screened as part of a three-part documentary series in an effort to inspire positivity within the Syracuse community.
UPDATED: Sept. 18 at 11:40 p.m.
The Gifford Foundation will team up with Onondaga Earth Corps and ArtRage Gallery to inspire the Syracuse community with “City of Trees,” the first film in a three-part “What If” documentary series starting Wednesday.
The semi-annual series incorporates screenings paired with moderated discussions to highlight efforts to enact positive social change in neighborhoods across the United States. Organizers select films based on their relevance to the Syracuse community and their ability to push viewers to consider what would happen if strategies seen in the films came to life on a local basis.
“City of Trees,” which offers a look into Washington Parks & People, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that creates “green jobs” to combat poverty and support the environment, will screen on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the ArtRage gallery.
“We look for films that document examples of communities coming together,” said Kimberley McCoy, the community engagement organizer of ArtRage Gallery. “The idea for the series is to ask the question: What if? It is a way of looking at positive examples to inspire things in Syracuse.”
Produced by Lance Kramer and directed by his brother Brandon Kramer, “City of Trees” was created after Steve Coleman, a program director for Washington Parks & People, invited the documentary team to check out the program, Kramer said. Meridian Hill Pictures, the company that produced the film, and Washington Parks & People are based in the same building.
“We just brought a camera and were really blown away by the stories people were sharing,” Kramer said. “They are stories about real, regular people who are navigating complicated problems in the world.”
The second part of the “What If” series is slated for Oct. 16 and will be a series of short films about different community development projects. This part of the series is hosted in partnership with Urban Jobs Task Force.
The third part of the series, which will showcase “Resilience,” a film that documents how toxic stress affect children, will be screened on Nov. 8.
This post has been updated with appropriate style.
Published on September 18, 2017 at 10:59 pm
Contact Raven: rarentas@syr.edu
