The Sunshine

The Sunshine is a sweet movie about a sad subject. A look behind the windows that you pass everyday of your life, but never see from the other side. A look at the people who were moved out so you could move in. Director Bertelsen handles his subjects honestly and respectfully; without judgement or pity. The sense that their corner of the world may have already faced the wrecking ball (or may be facing it even as we watch the film) was painful, but these people were so human that it was good to see them alive. A nice film. See it if it comes your way.

when i say depressing, i don't entirely refer to the filmmaker's part.. but rather the subject matter, that the old sleazy flophouses of manhattan are rapidly fading away, giving rise to thise whole new yuppie revolution, which have no character. on the whole, the film is interesting, although i think it could have been a bit stronger. i hear there is also a feature made by michael dominic called 'sunshine hotel' based on this same material, but i havent seen it yet. both films seem to be playing alot on the fest circuit.. and for any underground docu. fans out there who liked "sunshine", i strongly urge you all to see Morgan Miller's film "Budget Liquor" if you can

This is one of the most utterly depressing and difficult to watch documentaries I have ever seen. Now this isn't to say it isn't good--it's just that it is rough going watching the film and I really doubt if most viewers can stick with the entire thing even if it is only about a half hour long.

The documentary is set in a flop house in the Bowery in New York. This is a super-seedy hotel where men men lead a meager existence--almost as if it's just a place to go so you can wait to die. Most of the men are addicts or gamblers and the place is a filthy and scary mess. However, despite the grime and depressing aspects of the film, the film makers do a wonderful job of getting inside the lives of just a few of the residents. In fact, I really would have like to have seen more lives profiled despite the utterly dismal tone of much of the film. Seeing their lives and learning how they got to such a state was oddly compelling but sad. What made it particularly well done was the way this was all tied up at the end--showing the Big Onion tour group as the guide talked about this being one of the last of the Bowery "hotels" in skid row.

In some ways, I wished I'd seen this film a few weeks earlier, as I was in the Bowery just two weeks ago and may have even passed the The Sunshine. I doubt if I would have had the nerve to stop in (especially after hearing the one guy talk about the bedbugs), but seeing it from the street would have been interesting.