In Jackson Heights

Frederick Wiseman celebrates the vibrant streets and bustling community life of one of New York’s most ethnically and culturally diverse neighbourhoods.

Screening includes a pre-recorded introduction by Hon. Associate Professor Jane Mills, School of the Arts & Media (UNSW)

Here, in the Jackson Heights district of Queens, at least 167 languages are spoken. More recent immigrants – Latino, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, South Asian – rub shoulders with elderly residents of Jewish, Irish and Italian descent. Stores sell all manner of wares, from baby goats to saris; others offer HIV testing, Tibetan food and classes for aspiring cabbies. Hosted by the Jewish community centre, LGBTIQ activists plan the annual Pride celebrations. Impromptu concerts take place in laundromats, the music melding with the city’s hum and hiss.

Shot in 2014, the impending threat of gentrification Wiseman documented has become a reality and transformed the district – more reason to relish this dazzling snapshot.