Welcome to Independent Lens.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of
Wisconsin Public Television's Director's Cut.
Tonight, we take you back almost 50 years to New York City
through the film "Decade of Fire."
Throughout the 1970s, fires raged through the South Bronx
and consumed much of the neighborhood.
The city of New York blamed the residents
who were primarily black and Puerto Rican
even as they fought daily to save their community.
This film digs deep to counter the city's accusation
and explores how the city could let this happen.
Director-producer, Vivian Vazquez-Irizarry,
a south Bronx native, pursued the truth behind the fires
and what she uncovered were polices of racism and neglect.
Vazquez-Irizarry says the film started out as a conversation
about Bronx history with co-producer Julia Allen.
The two women were trying to implement
a curriculum in the schools
to educate students about their neighborhood
and the damaging effects of the fires.
Their attempt failed, but turned into a film
that she says she hopes heals her community.
Vazquez-Irizarry, along with co-director/producer Gretchen Hildebran
use uplifting stories from residents,
FDNY firefighters and Bronx historians
mixed in with a combination of home videos and archival footage
to tell their story.
Personally, I love seeing actual film
from the 70s in a documentary.
It has an authenticity that can't be recreated
and helps transport viewers back to a time and setting.
"Decade of Fire" starts now, on Wisconsin Public Television,
your home for independent film.