70 Acres in Chicago: Cabrini Green
For 70 years, there stood a Chicago public housing community known as Cabrini Green. Home to thousands, misunderstood by millions, Cabrini Green once towered over Chicago’s most valuable neighborhoods. A looming reminder of inequality, Cabrini’s high-rises were demolished and an African-American community cleared to make room for another social experiment: mixed-income neighborhoods.
Shot over the course of 20-years, 70 Acres in Chicago documents this upheaval, from the razing of the first buildings in 1995, to the clashes in the mixed-income neighborhoods a decade later. 70 Acres in Chicago tells the volatile story of this hotly contested patch of land, while looking unflinchingly at race, class, and who has the right to live in the city.
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Shot over the course of 20-years, 70 Acres in Chicago documents this upheaval, from the razing of the first buildings in 1995, to the clashes in the mixed-income neighborhoods a decade later. 70 Acres in Chicago tells the volatile story of this hotly contested patch of land, while looking unflinchingly at race, class, and who has the right to live in the city.
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Voices of Cabrini
In 1995, demolition began at Cabrini Green, one of Chicago's most "notorious" housing developments. Infamous for poverty, gangs, drugs, and violence - Cabrini Green is also home to a strong community of African-American residents - many of whom are fighting to stay.
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A Day on the Force: Women's Professional Tackle Football
A Day on the Force: Women’s Professional Tackle Football, chronicles Chicago’s first professional women’s tackle football team, The Chicago Force. Co-directed with Laurie Little and Sree Nallamothu.
When Shirley Met Florence
A romance? Yes and no. A friendship? Not exactly. Meet Shirley and Florence, whose lifelong attachment to one another defies categorization. When Shirley Met Florence offers an intimate portrait of two women in their mid-sixties--one lesbian, the other heterosexual--whose love for one another and the music they create together, transcends differences.
Bezalel directed When Shirley Met Florence through the National Film Board of Canada. This thirty-minute documentary received a silver award at Chicago’s Gay/Lesbian film festival and aired on television in England, Canada, and Australia.
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Bezalel directed When Shirley Met Florence through the National Film Board of Canada. This thirty-minute documentary received a silver award at Chicago’s Gay/Lesbian film festival and aired on television in England, Canada, and Australia.
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Quarantine is a State of Mind
A five-part stop-motion series shot on the iPhone during a 14-day Coronavirus quarantine. Featuring stick-figure skateboarders jumping over fire, soldiers doing yoga, a dancing skeleton, singing in the rain and more.
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You Stole My Bike!
A two and a half minute slice of pop-punk heaven courtesy of Chicago band, I Like Action. Directed by Ronit Bezalel, in collaboration with the band, this video features the dynamic duo of singer-guitarist Liena Vayzman and drummer Tricia Savicious in hot pursuit of a dastardly bike thief played by drag king Jack Hoff. Action-packed, shot on location in Chicago, and rated G as in Grrrl!
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Chiberia
This poetic short film captures the bone-chilling arctic weather to descend upon Chicago during 'Chiberia' in 2014. Music by Massimo Ruberti.
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