'Battle For Brooklyn' Filmmaker Speaks Out On Occupy Wall Street
Michael Galinsky discusses parallels between the ongoing protests and the fight over Atlantic Yards.
Historians have long said that those looking to decode the present should get busy consulting the past.
So it goes for Clinton Hill residents Suki Hawley and Michael Galinsky's Atlantic Yards documentary, Battle For Brooklyn, which has grown in stature from a project about the ultimately unsuccessful effort against a massive development to one with renewed relevance in the continuing Occupy Wall Street protests that have spread from Zuccotti Park to Grand Army Plaza and beyond.
"Atlantic Yards represents everything that Occupy Wall Street is mad about," Galinsky said. "The lack of jobs, housing, all of the broken promises."
Indeed, the documentary—which begins a semi-permanent weekly run at Brooklyn Heights Cinema starting tonight at 7 p.m.—and its theme of democratic resistance to the powers-that-be seems to have universal appeal, leading to packed moviehouses from Cleveland to Los Angeles.
"The same issues that are taking place in New York are going on there," he said, referencing the film's popularity among Angelinos opposed their own Atlantic Yards-like development—a proposed football stadium approved by L.A.'s City Council in August.
But it is the parallels between the grassroots resistance against Atlantic Yards development and the growing Occupy Wall Street protests that seemed to create renewed buzz about a film Galinsky insists is still "about people, not issues."
"It's a huge victory in helping shape the narrative," he said.
**Correction: The film will be screened on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. only.**Battle For Brooklyn will screen at Brooklyn Heights Cinema, 70 Henry St., on Wed. at 7 p.m.
Mike Lanseer
9:39 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Many people in the area around Atlantic Yards were bought out by the developers and moved on to better circumstances. Even the ring leader received 3 million bucks. The area around the yards was once full of drug addicts and prostitutes. Now it is a busy economic area and much safer than before. There are jobs being created in the surrounding neighborhoods, just walk around and see the transformations going on all around. As far as the Occupy Wall Street protesters go,
I say it's great to have that freedom. It has never been easy for anyone. Somehow people have to get a high skill set of knowledge to work in this new economy to make a living. It's not easy, but a lot of people do succeed. When was life ever fair?? While you are thinking about it, other people are doing it! The cold weather is fast approaching and the holiday season is too. Hopefully the situation will get better and people will find employment. Hey even the film makers are out to make a living.
daniel Goldstein
11:36 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Sorry Mike, but this comment doesn't really make any sense and is dishonest description of what occurred with AY and what the site was like before the AY project was announced.
OWS at its core is a reaction to the undeniable corporate takeover of our politics and government. That is what Atlantic Yards exemplifies, in a nutshell.
Is that the kind of unfair you are talking about? Because nobody ever said that a democracy is supposed to be a corporatocracy.
Shopkeeper50
9:52 am on Thursday, October 20, 2011
I agree with Mike and I disagree with Daniel. When someone says it's "undeniable" they are trying to put a statement out there and end the conversation on that statement before it can be disproven. It's a typical FLI tactic.(far left idealogue). Self reliance builds self esteem and that is what a lot of these people really need.
mw
12:35 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
hm. is that the actual daniel goldstein . . . the one who settled (was sold?) for 3 million? . . .
Mike Lanseer
12:36 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Final Atlantic Yards Holdout, Daniel Goldstein, Sells to Ratner for $3 M.
With the state intending to use eminent domain to take his property within a matter of weeks or months, Mr. Goldstein agreed to a deal with Forest City Ratner to sell his apartment for $3 million, according to two people familiar with the deal. This is considerably more than the appraised value by the state ($510,000), as well as the amount he paid for it in 2003 ($590,000). Under the terms of the agreement, he must leave the apartment by May 7. Following a settlement with tenants of a neighboring building, there are no more holdouts living in the footprint.
Of course, Mr. Goldstein had Forest City Ratner in something of a tough spot: He would presumably have delayed arena construction enough to frustrate Forest City’s efforts to build the arena for the 2012 NBA season, so long as a judge ruled he could have stayed in his property. Forest City likely thought that by paying more than he would have gotten through the courts, they could once and for all rid themselves of a man who has been such a persistent thorn in their sides.
Final Atlantic Yards Holdout, Daniel Goldstein, Sells to Ratner for $3 M.
Still, it does offer something of a lesson to wavering holdouts in similar eminent domain situations: If you wait until the end, the payout might indeed be more lucrative.
Danny, I think you could teach corporate America a few tricks yourself.
Danielle
10:42 am on Friday, October 21, 2011
Mike, you should include a link if you are quoting an article (above) so that people can see where the article came from (it's called citing your sources). Also, you should make it clear, by using quotations marks, where the article ends and your comment begins. I assume your comment starts at, "Still, it does offer something...." but it's hard to tell.
Also, Daniel Goldstein spent 6 years of his life fighting tooth and nail against Atlantic Yards. If you really think that he spent so much of his time on activism against the project on the slim chance that 6 years later he might get some money for his condo, then that's just ridiculous.
Also, it's my understanding that he could have stayed in his condo about 2 months longer and gotten below market for his condo from the government (under eminent domain) or he could have left early and gotten $3M. Which would you have done, Mike?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/nyregion/22yards.html
mw
1:02 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
daniel goldstein is the 1%! the article (galinsky) has it all wrong.
daniel Goldstein
1:59 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Hi Mikey. Yup, its me. I didn't sell anything. New York State took ownership of my home by eminent domain. I had nothing to sell.
Pat, can you make an argument that somehow denies that OWS is an anti-corporatocracy protest movement?
How Mike's absurd assertion about what he area was before Ratner took it over?
mw
2:21 pm on Thursday, October 20, 2011
i sure hope this is really you, daniel. question related to OWS: how much of your settlement went to others in the AY who were displaced? were you acting in their interests when negotiating, and if so, how did that turn out for them? it's pretty well documented how nicely you made out, i'm curious about the other 99%.