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HOLE IN A FENCE (First
Run Features) 2008. Documentary. 45 minutes. Not rated. While
traipsing around Red Hook,
Brooklyn
, one fine afternoon, D.W. Young came across a curious hole in a fence and
decided to peer in for a look. What lay behind the great fence was a huge
plot of land once developed, but now blighted and basically long
forgotten. Wanting more information concerning this land, Mr. Young heads
into the territory and discovers a land of homeless squatters and haven
for graffiti artists. However, the future of this forgotten land, and its
surroundings, are in for a huge change and upheaval: Ikea.
This fairly charming documentary basically has
two storylines and to tell these two stories D.W. interviews those with
first hand knowledge. One story focuses on the plot of land explored, what
it was in the past, the homeless residents, and its various arty usages.
Ikea fills the other storyline with its pros and cons delivered by
activists and neighbors. This story of box store invasion is nothing new
as it is happening all over the country, but D.W. takes you beyond the
boring news stories and actually offers the viewer a more personal look at
the land and possible effects, negative and positive, of such development.
The charm is not only birthed by the great cinematography of the run down
area (I love run down areas), but also D.W.’s ability to simply allow
the camera’s subjects speak their mind without forcing an agenda. –
Denis Sheehan
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