L.E.S. Captured

Was lucky to catch the world premiere of the independent film Captured, the amazing story of Clayton Patterson, prolific photo documentarian of the turbulent Lower East Side for 30 years.

Screened by Rooftop Films (movies on a roof with a view on a beautiful summer night!), Captured has incredible footage of the Tompkins Square Riots in the late 80s and touches on the nearly overnight change the hood has seen--from being once a slum of junkies with a gritty underground street culture to becoming a gentrified mini-Disneyland for newcomers to NYC. Most importantly, the film shows the need to document local art and cultural movements on camera before they get lost to history, or worse, lost to the the wrecking ball of condo developers.