By Andrew Valitutto
This place is 12.4 miles long, 258 blocks, and runs through the heart of the greatest city in the world... yeah, that would be New York City's Broadway, the main focal point of the documentary, "A Broad Way." The concept, created by Robert Liano and Tom Coppola, placed a filmmaker on every corner of Broadway simultaneously for one hour on June 6, 2006. To do this, they were granted the largest film permit ever issued by the city of New York. Each filmmaker shot their own mini-film on their assigned block, allowing each story to be told from a different perspective. The hundreds of hours of raw footage were then masterfully edited into one vision by Hofstra's own, Professor Carlo Gennarelli. This footage included dozens of interviews from residents that are affected in negative and positive ways by their lives on Broadway. To most of us, Broadway is synonymous with the Theater District but "A Broad Way" shows us that Broadway is filled with diversity, from the stockbrokers in the Financial District, to tourists in Times Square, to families living uptown in neighborhoods like Washington Heights.
"A Broad Way" has everything a film-goer is looking for - comedy, sorrow, excitement, and all the noises of a fast paced New York City. Eight million people live there and each person has a story to tell. People from all over the world flock to Manhattan to try to make new lives for themselves and their families. Broadway is filled with many stores and businesses, making it a commercial battleground. In the film, we hear from vendors, proprietors, taxi drivers, and street hustlers, all striving – and sometimes struggling – to make money. Social issues such as rent control and homelessness come out boldly in the documentary. One interviewee said that regular people are being driven out of Manhattan and only the rich will remain. A homeless man said that, "folks need to realize that they are only one paycheck away from where I am." Despite depicting these downfalls in society, the overall mood of the film was very positive and showed people living together in good faith. Contrary to New York's "hard core" reputation, there was no actual violence captured on film and each New Yorker seemed, in one way or another, connected to one another. An aspiring musician from Austria even said that he was the luckiest man in the world to be able to just play his music on the streets of Manhattan.
This documentary is one of those masterpieces you see that really makes you think after watching it. It makes you think about the messages of the characters and even the characters of the creators themselves. When Liano and Coppola were asked about the future of the film, they simply stated they weren't going to make any major changes and would to like to keep it as is so that it could continue to inspire other people. Referring to the two creators, Professor Gennarelli stated, "There are many things we all say we are going to do someday ... these guys actually did it. By producing this film they made a creative dream a reality." This documentary is a must-see for everyone, especially those studying filmmaking. Broadway runs through Manhattan and unites the city as one, both physically and spiritually. "A Broad Way" reminds us and re-iterates that there is good in people and that we all can live together. If I had to walk away with one message from the viewing, it would be that the world, not only Manhattan, could do the same. "A Broad Way" is currently available through www.indiepixfilms.com.