Changing Face of Harlem

CHANGING FACE OF HARLEM is a one-hour documentary that examines the revitalization of Harlem told through the deeply personal stories of its residents, small business owners, politicians, developers, and clergy. Identified as the birthplace of the Black Renaissance, CHANGING FACE OF HARLEM takes a critical look at Harlem’s history, early development, and its present transformation. The film highlights how a community deals with the challenge of maintaining identity while accepting change. The film began production in the year 2000 and was shot over a period of ten years.

Shawn Batey, an award-winning filmmaker, has over 15 years experience as a producer, filmmaker, and writer of documentary films. Third World Newsreel distributes two of her films: Hair-Tage, a cultural documentary on dreadlocks, and Through My Eyes, an interpretation of September 11th from the perspective of Latino and African-American youth. Her additional credits include 60+, a musical documentary of an all-female senior citizen female band, Making the World Feel Better, the P.S. 230 Mural Project and Tree Fever, a quirky look at Christmas tree sellers in Upper Manhattan. Her works have been utilized within schools nationwide and have screened in numerous film festivals. Shawn was chosen to participate in the 2006 Working Films Residency at MASS MOCA and the 2007 Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour where she incorporated elements of her current work into a multimedia installation.

Changing Face of Harlem was chosen as an official selection for several film festivals including The San Diego Black Film Festival, The San Francisco Black Film Festival, Big Muddy Film Festival, Reel Sisters Film Festival as well as annual academic conferences. The film has also screened at Maysles Cinema, Anthology Archives, and CUNY Gotham Center. Shawn Batey has been invited to serve on several panels citywide to speak on the topic of her film, Changing Face of Harlem, at CUNY City College Symposium on Gentrification, Columbia University - Paul Robeson Conference, and CUNY Hunter College - Harlem Gentrification Panel.

This FREE event is presented by the Department of African American and African Studies and co-sponsored by the Federated Department of History, the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies, and the Clement A. Price Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience.