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Marc Levin’s Class Divide

January 15, 2016

An Eastern Region Special Projects Committee Documentary Series Screening:

On January 14, the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s Documentary Series screened Director Marc Levin’s new film, Class Divide, in the DGA’s New York Theater.

The film takes a long hard look at New York City’s gentrification and growing inequality. Focusing on two distinct worlds that share the same Chelsea intersection of 10th Avenue and 26th Street as seen through the eyes of students from both the low-income public housing of the Chelsea-Elliot Houses and their neighbors at The World School — a $50,000 per year world-class private school — Class Divide explores what happens when kids from both worlds attempt to cross from one world to the other.

Class Divide is the third film in Levin’s HBO-produced trilogy that includes, Schmatta: Rags to Riches, a look at the disappearance of the NYC garment industry; and Hard Times: Lost on Long Island, which follows a number of highly educated couples who lost their jobs in 2008 and struggled to find other work.

Following the screening, Levin discussed the making and aftermath of Class Divide in a conversation moderated by Director Alex Gibney (Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief).

Levin’s films include the documentaries The Execution Machine: Texas Death Row, Protocols of Zion, Freeway: Crack in the System; episodes of the television series Law & Order, Street Time and Brick City; and episodes of the documentary mini-series Chicagoland. He was nominated for the DGA Award and won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special for his 1998 film Thug Life in D.C. Levin has been a DGA member since 1998.

 

Pictures & Video

Event photos by Krista Kennell - Print courtesy of HBO

View slideshow
Watch Highlight
FULL TALK (28:26): Director Mark Levin discusses his latest film, Class Divide, with Director Alex Gibney.
Watch Highlight
HIGHLIGHT: Levin speaks about the ways in which the film has already inspired more positive interaction between the institutions on both sides of the street, following the lead of the children depicted in the film.
Watch Highlight
HIGHLIGHT: Levin talks about the significant transformation of New York City over many years, including the development of locations like the former site of Charlie Chaplin's studios, and encourages awareness by those who live and work in NYC to their city's movement.
Watch Highlight
HIGHLIGHT: Director Mark Levin talks about the challenge of visualizing New York City as a diverse and multi-faceted city and still holding to the film's central relationship between Avenues: The World School and the Eliot-Chelsea public housing project.
Director Marc Levin speaks about the making of his new documentary Class Divide following the DGA screening in New York.
An image from Director Marc Levin’s new documentary Class Divide.
Directors Marc Levin and Alex Gibney (moderator) talk about the making of the documentary Class Divide at the DGA Theater in New York.
An image from Director Marc Levin’s new documentary Class Divide.
Director Alex Gibney asks Marc Levin a question about the making of the documentary Class Divide.
An image from Director Marc Levin’s new documentary Class Divide.
Directors Marc Levin and Alex Gibney ask for questions from the audience following the screening of Levin’s documentary Class Divide at the DGA Theater in New York.
An image from Director Marc Levin’s new documentary Class Divide.
An audience member asks Director Marc Levin a question about Class Divide following the screening at the DGA Theater in New York.
Directors Marc Levin and Alex Gibney (moderator) pose for a photo following the DGA screening of Class Divide in New York.
Director Gary Donatelli congratulates Director Marc Levin on his new documentary Class Divide..

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