Managed Retreat

On August 25th, 2018, my latest documentary film, Managed Retreat, premiered at Rooftop Films. Managed Retreat is a short documentary portrait of three New York City neighborhoods that were purchased by the New York State government in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, to be demolished and returned to nature as part of the city’s first ‘managed retreat’ from rising sea levels. This observational documentary follows the process of retreat over the course of five seasons in three waterfront communities on Staten Island, as homes are destroyed, streets are abandoned, and wild animals begin to return.

Managed Retreat was inspired by my photographs of Oakwood Beach, Ocean Breeze and Graham Beach in Staten Island. These photographs have been published in a series of photo essays at Curbed NY, and have been featured in Nature Climate Change and the PBS Newshour.

Managed Retreat is now screening at film festivals and being exhibited in galleries worldwide, including screenings at the Imagine Science Film Festival, Environmental Film Festival Australia, and Princeton Environmental Film Festival.

More details on the film can be seen at: www.managedretreatfilm.com