>>> IN THE 1970s, THE SOUTH
BRONX WAS LITERALLY ON FIRE.
THE SCALE OF THE DEVASTATION
DURING THAT DECADE IS HARD TO
FATHOM.
40 FIRES A DAY, ACCORDING TO ONE
ESTIMATE.
A CONTINUOUS BLAZE THAT WOULD
END UP DESTROYING 80% OF THE
HOUSING STOCK IN THE AREA,
REDUCING ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS TO
RUBBLE.
BUT JUST WHY AND HOW WAS THE
SOUTH BRONX ALLOWED TO BURN TO
THE GROUND?
IT'S A QUESTION THAT STILL
TROUBLES LONG-TIME RESIDENTS AND
THE SUBJECT OF A DOCUMENTARY ON
INDEPENDENT LENS.
"DECADE OF FIRE" FOLLOWS A BRONX
BORN ACTIVIST AS SHE UNCOVERS
THE UNTOLD STORY BEHIND THE
FIRES, REVEALING SHOCKING
NEGLECT AT EVERY LEVEL OF
GOVERNMENT.
HERE IS A PREVENT.
>> I GREW UP IN THE SOUTH BRONX
IN THE 1970s DURING THE TIME OF
THE FIRES.
LANDLORDS WERE BURNING OUR
BUILDINGS FOR PROFIT, AND THEY
DIDN'T HAVE TO REBUILD OUR
HOMES.
A QUARTER MILLION PEOPLE
DISPLACED, RESIDENTS AND
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS HAD NO
OTHER CHOICE BUT TO FIGHT BACK.
THESE WERE OUR HOMES.
THIS WAS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WEREN'T GOING TO TAKE IT
LYING DOWN.
AS PART OF OUR CHASING THE DREAM
INITIATIVE, CODIRECTORS AND
PRODUCERS OF "DECADE OF FIRE,"
VIVIAN VASQUEZ AND GRETCHEN
HILDEBRAN JOIN US NOW.
LADIES, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THIS WAS SUCH A POWERFUL
DOCUMENTARY.
VIVIAN, I WANT TO START YOU,
BECAUSE THIS IS VERY MUCH YOUR
STORY.
TELL ME HOW DID THIS FILM COME
INTO EXISTENCE?
>> WE -- JULIE ALLEN AND I WHO
IS OUR COPRODUCER WORKED
TOGETHER IN THE BRONX DURING THE
EARLY PART OF THE 2000s.
WE WERE PART OF THE 21st CENTURY
SMALL SCHOOLS MOVEMENT.
WE WERE GOING TO -- WE WERE
WORKING WITH THE CBO -- IN A
CBO, I'M SORRY, WE WERE WORKING
WITHIN A CBO TO START A SMALL
SCHOOL.
WE WANTED TO WRITE A CURRICULUM
FOR BRONX HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
SO THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT THEIR
HISTORY IN THE BRONX.
EVENTUALLY THE CURRICULUM WAS
NEVER TAUGHT.
BUT WE JUST KEPT TALKING ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SOUTH BRONX
DURING THE 1970s.
I KEPT TALKING ABOUT MY
EXPERIENCES, HOW I GREW UP, AND
JULIA ENCOURAGED ME TO WRITE
ABOUT IT, AND THEN EVENTUALLY
SHE ENCOURAGED ME TO WORK ON A
FILM.
SHE INTRODUCED ME TO GRETCHEN,
AND THEN WE BEGAN FILMING
FRIENDS AND TELLING OUR STORY
ABOUT HOW WE GREW UP IN THE
SOUTH BRONX AND WHAT THE CONTEXT
WAS OF THE DAY, BECAUSE FOR MANY
OF US, WE HAD A GREAT TIME JUST
LIKE ALL KIDS HAVE A GREAT TIME
DURING THEIR CHILDHOOD.
BUT THERE WAS THIS BACKDROP OF
DEVASTATION AND NEGLECT THAT WAS
EVER SO PRESENT IN OUR MEMORIES.
>> AND GRETCHEN, I JUST WANT TO
SAY THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I
THINK I FOUND SO ENGROSSING
ABOUT THE FILM IS THAT YOU WERE
ABLE TO GET SO MUCH FOOTAGE THAT
MADE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE
THERE.
HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO PUT
TOGETHER ALL OF THESE PIECES
THAT REALLY IT BROUGHT THE
AUDIENCE INTO THE SPACE THAT --
I MEAN, FOR MYSELF, I DIDN'T
GROW UP IN THE CITY, SO I WASN'T
THERE.
BUT YOU FEEL LIKE IT WATCHING
THIS FILM.
>> RIGHT.
JUST TO MENTION, WHEN WE FIRST
STARTED WORKING ON THIS FILM, IT
WAS 2008.
SO IT WAS A TEN-YEAR PROCESS
THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT THAT WAS OUR END
GOAL.
BUT IT DEFINITELY WAS A HUGE
AMOUNT OF WORK.
AND WE WORKED TOGETHER
COLLABORATIVELY.
WHILE I WOULD BE DOING THE
FILMING OR THE EDITING, WE ALSO
TALKED EVERY WEEK ABOUT THE
STORY BECAUSE THERE IS A HUGE
AMOUNT OF AMAZING FOOTAGE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU MORE ABOUT
WHERE WE FOUND THAT, BUT I THINK
PART OF WHAT DRAWS YOU IN IS
THAT WE SPENT SO MUCH TIME
REALLY FOCUSING ON HOW TO LET
THE VIEWER EXPERIENCE THIS STORY
THROUGH VIVIAN'S EYES.
BUZZ SO OFTEN THE BRONX IS
PORTRAYED BY OUTSIDERS AS THIS
OTHER PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU
WOULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT'S
HAPPENING THERE.
WE REALLY WANTED TO BRING PEOPLE
IN TO THAT EXPERIENCE OF, LIKE,
THE ACTUAL LOVE THAT PEOPLE HAD
FOR THE BRONX AND FOR THEIR
NEIGHBORHOODS THERE, WHICH IS
WHAT ENTICED THEM TO ACTUALLY
STAY AND FIGHT FOR IT WHEN ALL
THIS STUFF WAS GOING ON.
>> SO IN ADDITION TO THE HEART
AND SOUL OF YOUR STORY
SPECIFICALLY, THIS IS ALSO VERY
MUCH A HISTORY LESSON, AND YOU
LEARN A LOT ABOUT, AS I WAS
SAYING IN THE INTRO, THE
FAILURES AT GOVERNMENT AT EVERY
SINGLE LEVEL.
LET'S GO BACK TO ONE OF THE BIG
ISSUES AND THAT WAS THE RED
LINING, THE CREATION OF THE
SOUTH BRONX, IF YOU WILL.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND FIRST OF ALL
WHY THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WAS
INTENTIONALLY CREATED THE WAY IT
WAS.
>> SO RED LINING BEGAN ACTUALLY
IN BROOKLYN, RIGHT, IN THE 19 --
BEGINNING OF THE 1900s.
AND STARVED OFF NEIGHBORHOODS
THAT BANKS OR POLICYMAKERS JUST
WANTED TO KIND OF GET RID OF,
RIGHT.
SO WHEN IT CAME TO THE BRONX, IT
BASICALLY CAME THE WAY THAT I
INTERPRETED IT WAS THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD IS A BAD BET
BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE A GROWING
NUMBER OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND
PUERTO RICAN PEOPLE LIVING IN
IT, AND THERE IS NO USE IN
SUPPORTING THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THESE FOLKS DON'T KNOW HOW TO
TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, SO WE
MIGHT AS WELL JUST LEAVE THEM
THERE.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANT IN
PRACTICAL TERMS WAS THAT FOLKS
WERE NOT PROVIDED WITH ANY
LOANS.
THERE WERE NO RESOURCES TO HELP
BUILD OR RESTORE, MAINTAIN THE
BUILDINGS WHICH WAS REALLY
IMPORTANT.
A LOT OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRING,
THE NEW APPLIANCES THAT WERE
COMING INTO PLAY AT THIS TIME
LIKE HAIR DRYERS AND HEATERS AND
THINGS LIKE THAT, THERE WAS NO
WAY TO GET NEW SERVICES.
SO WHAT RED LINING MEANS IS YOU
DRAW A RED LINE.
>> LITERALLY, YEAH.
>> AND THEN YOU DECIDE NOT TO
PROVIDE, THE GOVERNMENT DECIDES
ALONG WITH PRIVATE ENTITIES
DECIDE THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO
PROVIDE ANY ECONOMIC SUPPORT TO
THAT AREA.
AND THAT DEVASTATED THE
COMMUNITY, BECAUSE WE NEEDED
ECONOMIC SUPPORT.
EVERY COMMUNITY NEEDS A LEVEL OF
ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL
SUPPORT.
AND WHAT THAT DID WAS THAT IT
JUST, YOU KNOW, ALL THE
BUILDINGS BEGAN TO RUN DOWN, AND
PEOPLE COULDN'T GET OUT, AND
PEOPLE COULDN'T SORT OF
MAINTAIN.
WHEN SOMEONE BUYS A HOME
NOWADAYS, YOU GET A LONE LOAN,
YOU WANT TO FIX IT.
YOU REFINANCE.
YOU DO SOMETHING.
THERE WAS NO ECONOMIC INCENTIVE
TO SUPPORT THE SOUTH BRONX.
>> AND OF COURSE THE FILM ALSO
ADDRESSES THAT THERE WAS NO
ECONOMIC INCENTIVE AT LEAST ON
THE PART OF THE LANDLORD TO
SUPPORT.
HAS IT EVER BEEN PROVEN BEYOND A
SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT LANDLORDS
WERE INTENTIONALLY BURNING THESE
BUILDINGS, OR IS THAT SOMETHING
THAT'S BEEN MORE COME TO
UNDERSTOOD?
LIKE PEOPLE NOW FEEL THAT'S WHAT
MOST LIKELY HAPPENED.
>> WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO
KNOW DURING THIS PERIOD IS THE
CITY WAS CUTTING BACKFIRE
SERVICES ACROSS THE CITY.
SO IT WAS CUTTING BACK THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT'S ABILITY TO RESPOND
TO FIRES, AND THEY CUT
DRAMATICALLY THE NUMBER OF FIRE
MARSHALS.
WE TALK ABOUT THIS IN THE FILM.
FIRE MARSHALS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO
SHOW UP TO INVESTIGATE THE
CAUSES OF A SUSPICIOUS FIRE.
AND I THINK THE NUMBERS VARY
OVER TIME, BUT IT WAS WOEFULLY
UNDERSTAFFED.
SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF FIRES,
IF THEY WERE RECORDED AT ALL
BECAUSE MANY FIRES EVER WERE
EVEN RECORDED, WERE NOT
INVESTIGATED.
SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO KNOW
THE CAUSES OF ANY OF THESE FIRES
BECAUSE THEY HAPPENED 40 YEARS
AGO AND NOBODY EVER TOOK DOWN
RECORDS WHAT HAPPENED.
BUT THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF
PROSECUTIONS, AND THERE WAS A
FEDERAL INVESTIGATION BY FEMA,
ACTUALLY INTO THE PRACTICES OF
LANDLORDS AND ALSO THE INSURANCE
COMPANIES AS WELL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE -- WE FOUND
THIS RESEARCH BY VIVIAN GOES TO
DIFFERENT ARCHIVES AND DIGS IT
UP.
IT IS NOT OUT THERE.
IT'S NOT IN THE PUBLIC MIND THAT
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS A
PRETTY WIDESPREAD PRACTICE BY A
CERTAIN TIME.
BUT ANECDOTALLY, IT WAS
WELL-KNOWN.
>> ACTUALLY, VIVIAN, THAT'S ONE
OF THE SO MANY REASONS THIS FILM
IS IMPORTANT.
IT ADDRESSES THE ISSUE ALSO THAT
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE
NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE SOUTH BRONX
INTERNALIZED AND BLAMED
THEMSELVES FOR THE FIRES, AND
THERE IS ALSO ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE
OF CITY OFFICIALS AT THE TIME
SAYING POINT-BLANK THAT IT WAS
THE FAULT OF THE PEOPLE IN THE
SOUTH BRONX.
AND THIS FILM LAYS OUT A CASE
FOR WHY IT'S NOT, AND WHY THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE PEOPLE
SHOULDN'T BE BLAMING THEMSELVES.
WHY WAS THAT SO IMPORTANT?
>> BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE
CURRENT DAY, YOU WALK AROUND.
AND I WORK IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT,
RIGHT.
AND WE SEE YOUNG PEOPLE CARRY A
LEGACY THAT DOESN'T BELONG TO
THEM, THAT THEY COME FROM THE
SOUTH BRONX, SO THEY COME FROM
SOME, YOU KNOW, POOR
NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THE NARRATIVE
THAT IS THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM
IS THAT POOR PEOPLE ARE POOR AND
THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE RUN DOWN
BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO
TAKE CARE OF THEIR
NEIGHBORHOODS.
THAT'S WHAT WITH OFTEN HEAR.
THAT'S WHAT WE OFTEN HEARD.
WE WERE BLAMED, OH, THE PEOPLE
FROM THE SOUTH BRONX, THEY SET
THE -- OH, IT WAS ARSON, AND THE
PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH BRONX BURNED
THEIR BUILDINGS.
THAT'S WHAT WE OFTEN HEARD.
YOU KNOW, THAT IS A VERY
NEGATIVE AND INTERNAL EMOTION.
THAT'S A MESSAGE THAT KIND OF
MANIFESTS ITSELF IN ANGER OR
FEAR SELF-BLAME OR EVEN LIKE
SELF-ESTEEM, YOU KNOW.
PLENTY OF US KNEW THAT LANDLORDS
WERE BUILDING THEIR BUILDINGS,
BUT WE WERE BLAMED.
I TALK WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THIS
ALL THE TIME WITH PEOPLE IN THE
SOUTH BRONX OR WITH FRIENDS.
ANYWHERE I GO, I SAY I'M FROM
THE SOUTH BRONX, PEOPLE ARE OH,
YOU'RE FROM THE SOUTH BRONX?
DO YOU CARRY A KNIFE?
IS IT SAFE?
THERE IS ALWAYS THAT STIGMA.
AND WE HAVE INTERNALIZED THAT
BECAUSE THAT'S THE MESSAGE WE
CONSTANTLY RECEIVE FROM THE
OUTSIDE WORLD.
AND EVEN WITHIN OURSELVES.
BECAUSE OH, YEAH, WE WERE THE
ONES WHO BURNED IT.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
I THINK FOR ME, IT WAS SO
REVELATORY TO UNDERSTAND AND
REVEAL THE FACTORS THAT RED
LINING STARVED AND SAPPED OUR
NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE.
URBAN RENEWAL, WHITE FLIGHT, THE
IDEA THAT FIREHOUSES WERE CUT AT
A TIME WHEN WE WERE BURNING?
AND THEN WE GOT BLAMED FOR THAT.
BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE
PROTECTION WE NEEDED AND YET WE
GOT BLAMED FOR BURNING OUR
NEIGHBORHOODS, THAT IS VERY
IMPACTFUL.
AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE WALK
AROUND THINKING, WELL, I DON'T
LIVE IN A SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M FROM THIS PLACE CALLED THE
SOUTH BRONX.
PEOPLE DON'T WANT -- YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HAVE
ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME OR SEE ME
A CERTAIN QUAY.
SO WE NEEDED TO TELL, AND KIND
OF WHAT WE CALL FLIP THE SWITCH.
>> DEFINITELY THE FILM DOES
THAT.
YOU LAY OUT THE REASONS THERE
SHOULDN'T BE SELF-BLAME, BUT
ALSO THE RESILIENCY OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AFTER THE FIRES.
AND HOW PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER AND
DECIDED WELL, IF WE'RE NOT GOING
TO GET HELP, WE'RE GOING TO
REBUILD OUR NEIGHBORS.
>> WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
WE ACTUALLY SAVED THE SOUTH
BRONX.
>> LADIES, I WANT TO THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR THIS FILM.
THIS IS SUCH A CRUCIAL RETELLING
OF A PIECE OF NEW YORK HISTORY
THAT I THINK PERHAPS HASN'T BEEN
GIVEN THE ATTENTION THAT IT
SHOULD.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS
FILM.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> FOR MORE INFORMATION ON
"DECADE OF FIRE," VISIT US AT
METROFOCUS.ORG.
>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE
BY
JAMES AND MERRYL TISCH,
SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III,
THE SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA
PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT
ANTI-SEMITISM.
BERNARD AND IRENE SCHWARTZ,
BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG,
AND BY --
