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West
47th Street |
In 1996, producers Bill Lichtenstein and June Peoples set out to document the lives of people with mental illness as never been done before. They followed four people as their lives naturally unfolded, over three years. The result is West 47th Street, a compelling documentary film with a luminous simplicity that belies its epic scope. The film presents a story about people who approach tremendous obstacles with humor, optimism and grace.
At times hilarious and at other times tragic, West 47th Street represents a radical return to cinema verite documentary style, without interviews or narration. The film was set at Fountain House, an internationally renowned rehabilitation program for people with serious mental illness located in New York City's Hell's Kitchen.
Prior to filming, Bill Lichtenstein and June Peoples spent more than three months working side-by-side with members of Fountain House, where they developed the relationships that led to remarkable access. The filmmakers shot more than 350 hours of high-resolution digital videotape for this project. The film relies on the camera's neutral eye to follow its characters through their daily lives in true cinéma vérité documentary form.
The subject
of West 47th Street hits close to home for producer Bill Lichtenstein,
whose career as an ABC news producer came to a halt over ten years ago
when he was diagnosed with manic depression. Following his recovery, Bill
was determined to educate people about mental illness. His work included
the Peabody Award-winning radio documentary series Voices of an Illness,
which Time magazine called a remarkable documentary. West 47th Street,
like Voices of an Illness offers a compassionate and engaging portrayal
of people with mental illness.
Production Status: completed
Completion Date: March, 2001
Budget: $1,147,145.00
Financing Sought: $93,000.00
Financing Secured: $1,054,145.00
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