Topic: Robert Frank Documentary Playing in NYC till June 11

[gothamtomato]

Hi all,

If you haven't yet seen Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank, now playing at the Film Forum on Houston Street in NYC, I recommend you do!

I wrote a piece about it in this week's newsletter. It is very interesting. There isn't a lot in the way of insights into his best known work, but it is a sometimes funny, sometimes sad, worthwhile look into a reluctant icon.

There is a 52 minute version that was on tv in the UK, but this cut is 85 minutes. If you're in NYC, go see it!

[Late Developer]

If you can't get to see it, there's a YouTube version, as below;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt97Jomj5nw

[gothamtomato]

Yes, the film on YouTube is the 52 minute version that was broadcast in the UK in 2005. It's amazing it took so long to cross the pond. I'm going to have to watch it to see if the parts left out of the TV version changed the feel of it.

And by the way, in the film he talks about leaving NYC because of all the yuppies, but I walked past his house the other day and he's still here.

[Nigel]

Yes, the film on YouTube is the 52 minute version that was broadcast in the UK in 2005. It's amazing it took so long to cross the pond. I'm going to have to watch it to see if the parts left out of the TV version changed the feel of it.

And by the way, in the film he talks about leaving NYC because of all the yuppies, but I walked past his house the other day and he's still here.

That's reassuring. NY like London has changed a lot recently. Change is inevitable but when cities don't make room for all strands of society you lose something.

[gothamtomato]

That's reassuring. NY like London has changed a lot recently. Change is inevitable but when cities don't make room for all strands of society you lose something.

I totally agree. The latest example here, a lovely little photography gallery in the East Village, The Umbrella Gallery, is closing at the end of the month. They lost their lease. They'll be replaced by a real estate office.

[Late Developer]

Yes, the film on YouTube is the 52 minute version that was broadcast in the UK in 2005. It's amazing it took so long to cross the pond. I'm going to have to watch it to see if the parts left out of the TV version changed the feel of it.

And by the way, in the film he talks about leaving NYC because of all the yuppies, but I walked past his house the other day and he's still here.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts, Deborah. Aside from "The Americans" (one of my favourite books), I haven't seen much else of his work until that video. I hope he's in good shape as he must be in his late 80s / early 90s.

[Francois]

That's reassuring. NY like London has changed a lot recently. Change is inevitable but when cities don't make room for all strands of society you lose something.

I totally agree. The latest example here, a lovely little photography gallery in the East Village, The Umbrella Gallery, is closing at the end of the month. They lost their lease. They'll be replaced by a real estate office.

That's what gentrification always does. There's a run-down neighborhood where rents are cheap.
Artist settle in for that reason. They bring a good vibe to the neighborhood through their own sweat and tears. The rich see that and find it to be really cool. They start settling in driving the prices up. And when the place is boring to them because all the local "entertainment" has been driven away by the high cost of living, they start moving out leaving the place to become decrepit once again. Wash, rinse, repeat.
We have the same problem in Montreal. Some neighborhoods which I never thought would get gentrified are now completely unaffordable for the former population. And the change occurred in less than 15 years, that's really fast when you're talking about a city.