- Welcome to Independent Lens!
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
Liberty City is the heart,
and when you destroy the heart, you destroy the people.
So says one of the characters in tonight's film,
Razing Liberty Square.
Climate change is affecting the entire world.
But here in the United States, the city of Miami, Florida,
is at the front and center of that change
as oceans continue to rise.
Much of Miami is right at sea level,
including many of its luxurious waterfront areas.
Not far away, there's a housing project
located in a Black neighborhood known as Liberty Square.
Within Liberty Square is the housing project Liberty City,
built in the late 1930s,
which was the first
segregated public housing project in the South.
It has a rich history of being a cultural hotspot
for famous Black athletes, entertainers, and public figures
in the 1960s.
And today, wealthy property owners and developers
have their sights set on the area.
Why?
It just so happens to be 12 feet above sea level
and, therefore, a desirable place to live
given rising sea levels;
therein lies the problem
and a growing form of racial injustice
called "climate gentrification."
Razing Liberty City is directed
by Miami-based filmmaker Katja Esson.
Katja is an Academy Award-nominated director,
known for tackling race, gender, and class issues in her films.
Esson grew up in Germany
but attended college at the University of Miami.
She originally wanted
to tell fiction stories and make feature films,
but while living in New York,
she was fascinated by the characters that lived around her
and their interesting stories.
So, she turned to documentary filmmaking.
In Razing Liberty Square,
Esson showcases perspectives
from her many different characters,
including residents of Liberty Square,
area activists, school teachers,
as well as developers and politicians.
Her film follows the redevelopment in the community
from beginning to end.
Esson highlights the challenges of residents
struggling to advocate for basic rights
and the community's fear of being displaced once again.
As one resident says, my grandfather always would say,
"They're going to come to take Liberty City
because we don't flood."
Esson said in a recent interview
that when she is interviewing one of her subjects
who is contributing to her story,
the connection is powerful;
so much so, that in that moment,
that person is the most important person in her life�
beautiful words from a brilliant storyteller.
Razing Liberty Square starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.