On October 5, 2019, despite cool temperatures and under a clear evening sky, Bronx community members came out for a public screening of Decade of Fire and Q+A at Concrete Plant Park. The film documents the period during the 70’s when the Bronx was left to burn during a period of arson fires and government neglect. The filmmakers use this platform to reframe the narrative by uplifting the Bronxites who stayed to rebuild the abandoned buildings and vacant lots left from the fires.
While many visitors had previously seen the film, many came to watch the film for the first time. Decade of Fire filmmaker Vivian Vasquez Irizarry joined community activists Carolyn McLaughlin and Edwin Pagan to offer answers to questions community members had post watching the film. All agreed that this film is a must see for understanding the Bronx’s history as well as deep housing segregation practices many of which resonate with communities facing gentrification today.
Decade of Fire will be streaming nationally on PBS, November 4, 2019. Learn more by, clicking here.
