I saw this on the Sundance channel and was incredibly impressed. This is a documentary of both Josh Pais's life, and the life of 7th Street, in Manhattan's Lower East Side. He interweaves his own life story with the history of 7th Street. Pais interviews old friends from 7th Street, and even if you don't know them, you grow to care deeply about them. Deeply. I was moved to tears by the end of the documentary. It was fascinating to watch the history of 7th street unfold before you -- what I call pre-Giuliani to post Giuliani. It went from being a Jewish enclave, to a hippie artist's mecca, to a dangerous drug area, to a Yuppie paradise whose rents are forcing all the old-timers out. It was so interesting to watch this in 2003, to watch people discussing the dangerous drug dealers in 1995, knowing what the people in '95 could have no way of knowing -- those dealers would soon be history. The people obviously think that the drug situation is eternal -- they have no idea what is right around the corner. The people represent all ethnic groups -- Jewish, Puerto Rican, black, Native American, white -- because that's what 7th Street was all about. Diversity. I am so glad Pais made this documentary. I spent a lot of time on the LES during my adolescence, and I actually knew and remembered some of the people he interviewed. I wish this were available on DVD. I would buy it immediately.
Review of 7th Street
