New England Movie Tour concludes with
Portland’s First Showing of Local Documentary
Neighbor by Neighbor:
Mobilizing an Invisible Community in Lewiston, ME
Hosted by Homeless Voices for Justice
and the Maine People’s Alliance
What: A public showing of Neighbor by Neighbor: Mobilizing an Invisible Community in Lewiston, ME that will be introduced by the filmmaker and followed by discussion with local organizers and people featured in the film
When: March 24th, 2010, 5:30pm doors open, 6pm movie showing (Movie Length is 90 minutes), 7:30pm discussion begins
Where: Reiche Community Center, Portland, Maine
Official Movie Site: Round Point Movies
Official Trailer: Go to trailer
“In the wave of politically engaged documentaries made in the last decade, Neighbor by Neighbor stands out. This is not just a film about a social issue; it springs directly from the struggle for justice by the marginalized residents of one of America’s forgotten industrial cities. This is what political documentary should look like.” – Maple Razsa, Activist/Filmmaker, EnMasse Films
Neighbor by Neighbor, a feature documentary about 5 years of community organizing and urban redevelopment in downtown Lewiston, will be shown at the Reiche Community School in Portland on Wednesday, March 24th, at 6pm. The event is free to the public and being sponsored by Homeless Voices for Justice and the Maine People’s Alliance. The film was produced by Lewiston videomaker Craig Saddlemire in partnership with The Visible Community – a group of community organizers in downtown Lewiston.
Connecting numerous examples throughout history, Neighbor by Neighbor takes a comprehensive look at the issue of gentrification – when people in poverty are left out of the planning process for economic revitalization and displaced from their homes and communities. As a case study, the movie delves deep into the controversial story of The Heritage Initiative, which was a plan proposed by the City of Lewiston to develop a boulevard through downtown Lewiston’s residential neighborhood and eliminate low-income housing for 850 people.
Instead of allowing their neighborhood to be paved over, the residents of downtown organized themselves into a group called “The Visible Community.” What happened next was an incredible story of people coming together to protect their homes, hold their political leaders accountable, and work towards creating a democratic planning process that honored the input of low-income people as much as any other person’s voice. Neighbor by Neighbor reveals the strategies, the mistakes, the prejudices, the lessons… all of the difficult stuff that makes up the political process – the act of making decisions and setting policy TOGETHER.
Since the movie’s completion in February 2009, it has been shown in numerous communities across New England and used as a platform for discussion about urban planning, municipal politics, consensus building, and community organizing at the local grassroots level. Immediately after the movie showing on Wednesday, people from the Portland community will have the opportunity to engage in a discussion with members of the Visible Community, Homeless Voices for Justice, and the Maine People’s Alliance about how issues addressed in the film are playing out locally in Portland.
For more information about the event please contact Homeless Voices for Justice at 775-0026x160 or
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