Asburied In Time, A Greeting Through Asbury Park’s Unique History
Documentary, 5 Years In The Making, Screens 7:30 pm Tuesday At The ShowRoom
A new documentary, five years in the making, addressing the history, culture and arts in Asbury Park will be screened 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the ShowRoom.
Asburied In Time, A Greeting Through Asbury Park’s Unique History is the brainchild of Rockland County, NY, native Bridget Machete.
The 27-year-old filmmaker [at right] is a New York University Tisch School of the Arts film production and dramatic writing graduate. Her film credits include the campy horror films “Frostbite” and “Another Bad Horror Flick,” then came then her award-winning “Nyack Needs A Skatepark” short documentary.
A frequent visitor to the Jersey Shore as a child, Machete said the mystery that surrounded Asbury Park during her youth prompted interest and her eventual 5-year-long commitment to creating a documentary that spotlighted the community’s complexities.
“Our story features the history and how Asbury Park is now ‘a tale of two cities,’ she said. “The east side, is the cash cow completely revitalized while parts of the west side needs help that aren’t given focus.”
The 90-minute film traces back to when James Bradley first purchased the land and addresses the old stigmas of the 1980s and 1990s that painted Asbury Park as a ghost town struggling to bounce back from the 1970s race riots, she said. Strong visuals include images of the beachfront, new and old architecture, and vintage footage from 1940s and 50s.
Machete’s protagonist, aside from the city itself, are the Falco family – a fourth generation Italian American family.
“It features a local family of second and fourth generation Italian Americans who immigrated to Asbury Park, struggling with rising prices, rent prices on their family business, school district issues and [the] overall safeness of raising a family in the affordable areas while still trying to keep strong roots in Asbury Park; the place where their family has called home since the 1800s,” Machete said in a written interview. “As we follow this family, we learn more how although the city is in the best shape it’s been, many have been pushed out due to eminent domain, prices and the city fixating on only one part of the city and how this affects a local family and business owners.”
Members of the Falco featured in the film include Rudy, John, Susan, Sophia, Michael, Joseph, and Nick Falco.
Machete said she also interviewed an array of the City’s creatives and dignitaries, including: Bob Crane, Patrick Schiavino, Henry V. Vaccaro, Joyce Grant, Rita Marano, Laura Pople, Kyle Brendle, Steve Herold, Stan Parratt, Kay Harris, and Don Stine. Conversations were also conducted with Rev. David J. Parreott, Scott Stamper, Marilyn Schlossbach, Jenn Hampton, Lisa Iannucci, and Russell Lewis, former Mayor Ed Johnson, Joe Woerner, Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, and Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton.
Author, photographer and musician interviews include Helen Chantal Pike, Dan Wolff, Madonna Carter Jackson, Jean Mikle, and Stan Goldstein, Debra Rothenberg, Glen Burtnik, Bob Burger, Chris Brown, Dorian Parreott, Kenny Segal, Kevin Huffman, John Moskowitz, Danny McConnell, and Michael Riconda.
The result she said is not just a tale of two cities but the historical and modern tale of two cities.
“We took plot points and broke them down into different story arcs and made a separate summary from that,” Machete explained. “For a time one of my PR people wanted to change the name to Asburied in Time, A Tale of Two Cities and I never liked the title change even if it’s more suiting. Tale of two cities — historical and modern tale of two cities. [It still] is Asburied in Time, a Greeting Through Asbury Parks Unique History.”
The film will be screened 7:30 p.m. at the ShowRoom, located at 707 Cookman Avenue, and will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker. There is a $10 suggested donation to help fund entry in film festivals. Tickets are sold at the door on a first come basis.
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