Heart & Sold (2007) - a short documentary focusing on corporate development in Seattle’s South Lake Union community and subsequent displacement effects on long-term residents and businesses. The film features interviews with civic leaders including pre-mayoral Mike McGinn, business owners and residents.
Produced, directed, filmed, edited and narrated by J. Faith Ramos, Andy Royer, and Arash Shiva.
Heart & Sold (16 mins).
Shot on Panasonic DVX 100a/b
Edited on Final Cut Pro 2
Film review from The Stranger -
CoCA, ConWorks, Vital 5, Artist Housing: All Gone from South Lake Union
by JEN GRAVES, AUGUST 14, 2007
"Even the physical history is evaporating, so that soon, you won't be able to tell what this was," Seattle artist Victoria Haven tells the camera in the 15-minute documentary "Heart & Sold," about Paul Allen's rapid gentrification of South Lake Union. "It's just gonna be a big shopping mall."
Haven used to live in South Lake Union, where once there was inexpensive housing. She also had a studio there; she still has one, but she's there on a month-by-month basis depending on the whims of the landowners. CoCA has gone, ConWorks has gone. Only 911 Media Arts (a partner in producing this film), the Wright Exhibition Space, and a handful of commercial galleries remain.
Vital 5 Gallery owner Greg Lundgren points out that it's not as simple as Paul Allen versus Art, but the melancholic film, made by Faith Ramos, Andy Royer, and Arash Shiva, contests that view. (I found out about the movie at PORT, thanks to Jeff Jahn.)
Paul Allen's company, Vulcan, refused to comment for the film. Worst is the poor representative of the mayor's office who was dispatched to share these drab sentiments:
"The mayor has said that he isn't so certain that, you know, putting skyscrapers right across the street from such a fantastic park is such a great idea, but he is willing to listen to what the neighborhood has to say, so the neighborhood is going to be having that discussion," he says, concluding: "The city will be listening, and the developers have largely been very good partners to work with, both for the city and for the community."