A New Documentary Turns the Lens on New York’s illustrious Curbside Photographers
From sidewalk antics in Harlem with Bruce Davidson to people-watching with Magnum veteran Elliot Erwitt, the new feature-length documentary film by Cheryl Dunn chronicles the pioneering photographers making their mark on the streets of New York. For three years the photographer and filmmaker—whose work has shown at the The Hole, MoCA and OHWOW—trawled archives, visited old haunts and relived the heyday of Studio 54 to trace the history of NYC photography. “I wanted to meet my idols so I went to the streets and followed their footsteps,” says Dunn of the Kickstarter-funded feature. “You stand there for five minutes, you’re going to see something funny.” Having been shown at the Tate Modern in London, and also featuring Bruce Gilden, Joel Meyerowitz, Rebecca Lepkoff and Mary Ellen Mark, the film premiered this month at Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto. “It’s a meter for culture and what’s happening in the world,” adds the filmmaker. “You never finish the mission; the street is constantly evolving.”