REQUIEM FOR WILLIAMSBURG
DOCUMENTARY
Paulien, a Dutch artist and divorced mother of two moves to NYC in the early eighties to follow her heart. All she can afford is a broken-down brownstone building in crime and drug-ridden Williamsburg. Against all odds, she not only manages to renovate the house, but she also opens the soon-famous Holland Tunnel Gallery in her backyard. As Paulien is building her life and becoming successful, her neighborhood is also developing for the better. At the turn of the millennium, however, Paulien watches gentrification affecting her neighborhood in ways she never thought possible. She has to make a drastic decision.
Director - Yara Hannema
Yara InMedia is a Haarlem film agency, founded in 2008 by Yara Hannema (1983). She is a very inspired filmmaker from Haarlem. She films people with an authentic story and knows how to capture them in a striking, personal and open way. Out of curiosity, she investigates how you can translate the passion of entrepreneurs and their stories into images, where she firmly believes in the power of film to convey a feeling.
This film put Hannema on the map in the Netherlands. She's currently working on a documentary film 'The School' about her youth in the sectarian movement The School of Philosophy in Amsterdam together with the Dutch Broadcasting Company.
Director’S Statement
The film is an independent production that was realized on a shoestring budget. We didn't cut back though on the cameraman, sound, and color and we had the film score composed and performed by composer Enzo Gallo.
SPECIFICATIONS
Project Title (Original Language): Requiem voor Williamsburg
Project Type:
Documentary
Runtime:
30 minutes
Country of Origin:
Netherlands
Language:
English, Dutch
Film Color:
Color
CREDITS
Yara Hannema
Director
Stella Bronwasser
Producer