Grant Avenue is a short film set in Greenville, Jersey City, the home of Shamanic Artist, Nicole McNeill. The film is composed of archival footage from 1996, showing the demolition of buildings on Grant Avenue, marking the onset of gentrification. Through this material, it captures the perspectives of local residents as they witness the neighborhood’s transformation. McNeill worked with raw, unstructured footage, auditing a storage of B-roll and shaping it through the lens of each resident’s perspective to craft a cohesive story.
Allowing the story to naturally emerge the narrative leads towards a cynical ending. The film functions to validate the residents’ experiences, making visible the structural inequities they face while also preserving a historical record of their stories. Even with its cynical ending, the film invites the audience to confront systemic inequities, fostering awareness, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the community’s ongoing struggle.
