Neighbors: Conservation in a Changing Community

When filmmaker Richard Rogers and producer Janet Mendelsohn were funded by the National Endowment for the Arts to make a film about the growing interest in neighborhood conservation, they chose Boston's South End — an ethnically and economically diverse community that, like many other American cities at the time, had found itself in the midst of the urban renewal process. 

The resulting film, Neighbors: Conservation in a Changing Community examines the challenges and opportunities of neighborhood revitalization through the stories of 12 South End residents. The older, working class population is juxtaposed with the more affluent newcomers who are attracted by the prime location and historic architecture as well as the ethnic mix of the neighborhood. While documenting the differences among these residents, the film also reveals their common goals — to make their neighborhood a better place to live. 

The film remains remarkably relevant for 21st century audiences. 

INCLUDED ON THE DVD:

Neighbors Revisited

Janet Mendelsohn, Susan Fanshel

color, 13 min, 2012

Producer Janet Mendelsohn and cameraman Kevin Burke return to the South End to interview several of the participants in the original film, including former congressman Mel King and two generations of the Young family. In the update, the dynamics of change in this complex community are brought into the present. With soaring property values, the South End has become one of the most desirable residential areas in Boston — while the gap between rich and poor has widened. As a companion to the original film, it will spark audiences to discuss similar issues that are impacting traditional neighborhoods across the country.