One October
Rachel Shuman, 2017, 60 min
Filmed in October 2008 on the eve of Obama's historic election and an unprecedented economic crisis, this lyrical portrait of New York City follows WFMU radio reporter Clay Pigeon as he takes to the streets to talk to fellow New Yorkers about their lives, their dreams, and their relationship with a transforming city. As part of what he calls a “radio experiment,” this transplanted Iowan roams the streets bearing a handheld recorder and a kindly probing nature: “Has he popped the question?” “When is the last time you’ve had a regular roof over your head?” “Do you love America?” These revealing interviews are woven between vivid scenes of New York’s eccentric byways, which together reveal a city—and a nation—at a crossroads.
"This moment, too, will pass and become history, just as the moment before it already has. Rachel Shuman’s city-study One October etches the New York of the fall of 2008 into a permanent record, revealing a time that felt like the culmination of all history as just another moment."
- Alan Scherstuhl, The Village Voice
“Led by a personable and intelligent host in Clay Pigeon, One October is simple in its concept. But it elevates its simple premise by showing the resilience of the human spirit and the little moments that connect us all. No matter where we hail from, what we do, or what we want, humankind is fascinating.”
- Bobby LePire, Film Threat
Preceded by:
The Monolith
Angelo J. Guglielmo, 2017, 10 min
Pioneering NYC artist, Gwyneth Leech, enters a midtown art studio only to find that her skyline view will soon be blocked by the construction of a high-rise hotel. But as the perspective out her window permanently shifts, so does the artist's point of view.
Friday, May 11th: Screening followed by special "behind the scenes" interview with featured character Clay Pigeon and a Q&A with directors Rachel Shuman and Monolith artist Gwyneth Leech
Saturday, May 12th: Q&A with Director Rachel Shuman and featured character Clay Pigeon
Sunday, May 13th: Q&A with Director Rachel Shuman and cinematographers David Sampliner (One October) and Andy Bowley (The Monolith) and and Monolith artist Gwyneth Leech
Tuesday, May 15th: Editing panel with Director-Editor Rachel Shuman and Monolith editor Rosie Walunas
Wednesday, May 16: Panel discussion about hyper-gentrification in New York City with Michael Henry Adams, author of “Harlem Lost and Found”, and Nellie Hester Bailey, co-founder of the Harlem Tenants Council
Thursday, May 17: Screening followed by special "behind the scenes" interview with featured character Clay Pigeon and a Q&A with Director Rachel Shuman and Monolith artist Gwyneth Leech
