Fans of activist and author Jane Jacobs take note, the documentary about her struggles against developers and city planners in New York, “Citizen Jane: Battle for the City” is playing this weekend at the Bijou Film Center from May 25 to May 28. Tickets are $7 for members, $9 for regular admission, and you can find times at its website.
“After reaching out to Altimeter Films, they let us know there was a lot of Virginia interest in the film,” says Bijou founder James Parrish.
Jacobs, author of the 1961 classic “The Death and Life of Great American Cities,” was known for her epic battles to help save historic New York neighborhoods such as Soho, Greenwich Village and Little Italy.
More from a press release:
Jacob’s activism resonates loudly in our present time as grassroots movements rise up to resist power-based bullying and autocratic authority. She was not only a powerful writer but one of the most notable woman leaders in activism who spoke truth to power. By showcasing her victories over Robert Moses, and the cohort of urban planners in the period, Citizen Jane provides us with an early activist playbook, telling the stories of Jacobs’ victories over monolithic forces determined to destroy treasured parts of New York City – as well as many other cities. Her story – one of a citizen soldier determined to fight – becomes a veritable “how to” for organizing around a ground-up protest movement against a seemingly unmovable autocracy.
