Emergent City, the latest documentary by Hunter Film & Media Department Chair Kelly Anderson, will have its national broadcast premier August 18 on PBS.
The film, which follows the residents of Brooklyn’s Sunset Park through their decade-long fight to have a say in the development in their waterfront neighborhood, will premiere on POV, the multi-Emmy® and Peabody Award-winning documentary series.
The documentary underscores Hunter’s role as an anchor institution in New York City, shining light on the social dimension of neighborhood action. For Anderson, the film demonstrates the power of cinema as a force for change.
“This is a harrowing and uncertain moment in American history. As a country, we are facing so much division and so many crises that seem insurmountable,” Anderson said. “Emergent City shows a community with a lot of different perspectives coming together to do the hard work of talking through differences, developing a collective vision, and fighting to make it happen.”
Emergent City features residents of Sunset Park as they face rising rents, a legacy of environmental racism, and the loss of the industrial jobs that had sustained their community. When a developer purchased the waterfront industrial complex Industry City with the goal of transforming it into an “innovation district,” residents demanded — and got — a role in the development and the future of the neighborhood.
PBS called Emergent City “a meticulously crafted civic epic that gives viewers a front-row seat to the public and private spaces where the city is shaped. With extraordinary access, the film tracks an ensemble of participants, including the local council members, Industry City’s developers, and community members with divergent stakes.”
The film explores gentrification, the climate crisis, and real-estate development, asking how change might come from collective local action rather than only through the efforts of business and political interests.
Anderson (a POV alum) directed the film with Jay Arthur Sterrenberg. It was executive produced by POV alum Stephen Maing and produced by Anderson and Brenda Ávila-Hanna. The film had its local premiere last year at the Tribeca Film Festival.
“The future is unwritten, but we know it will be built on the stories of what has come before. Spending time with the deeply dedicated community of Sunset Park, as it engaged for a decade to have an impact on shaping their waterfront, was inspiring. Collaborating with POV, which has so much experience bringing critical American stories to public television, feels like a perfect partnership as we honor what happened here and promote democratic engagement nationwide,” Sterrenberg said.
For POV Executive Producer Erika Dilday, the film is a testament to the strength of New Yorkers.
“Through the lens of Kelly Anderson and Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, we see democracy in motion — neighbors joining together to reimagine their communities and work toward a more just future,” she said. “Their film is a powerful examination for organizers and anyone confronting displacement across the country, illuminating not only what’s at stake but also how we can build fairer, more equitable cities. We’re proud to showcase a neighborhood’s fight for change that resonates far beyond New York.”
The film will be broadcast on Monday, August 18, at 10 pm (check local listings) on PBS Television and will be available to stream until November 16 at pbs.org and on the PBS App.
