Brighton Beach + Two Roads

Brighton Beach (1980)
Dirs. Carol Stein, Susan Wittenberg
60min; DCP

Set against the iconic Coney Island boardwalk, Brighton Beach is a neighborhood in constant re-formation. This 1980 documentary offers a vérité portrait of the immigrant communities that changed the Brooklyn neighborhood—mostly Soviet Jews and Puerto Ricans—as they mingle on the boardwalk with long-time residents, eye one another, and coexist around a shared sense of uprootedness. From directors Susan Wittenberg and Carol Stein, Brighton Beach is an unposed, seductively shot, color film about life’s simple pleasures and the creation of a community. The new 4K restoration is courtesy of IndieCollect.

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Two Roads (2024)
Dir. Susan Wittenberg/ a Production of Ace Pictures, Inc. and The Irish Repertory Theatre
55min; DCP

Tracing an untold 200-year-old story of the intersection between African American and Irish culture and politics as expressed through dance and music, Two Roads offers a fresh perspective: confounding assumptions and showcasing art’s transcendent power to bridge divisions. The late Mick Moloney, a legendary folklorist and banjo rambler, and choreographer/performer Lenwood Sloan are our guides in this exploration of a complex cultural bond, which connects history with the present through performances by rising stars like Kaitlyn Sardin, Jerron Paxton, Nora Brown, and Malian griot Cheick Hamala Diabate.

Join us for a post-screening Q&A with directors Carol Stein and Susan Wittenberg.