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FALL 2014: Work Makes a City Work

A city without jobs is a hard place to make a home.  Trenton’s story over recent decades is one common to cities along the Eastern seaboard.  It is a tale of the loss of industrial jobs, the flight of businesses to the suburbs, disinvestment in the inner city and unemployment. And yet it is still a  home to many.  Trentonians are surviving and finding ways to get ahead today -- not waiting for the perfect solutions of the future. 

 

The people observed in these student micro-documentaries are not only helping themselves, they are devoting their time, energy and creativity to each other and their city.  They are sometimes supported by non-profits and goverment.  They are guided by their strength and their experience.  Together, these films form a kaleidoscope of working life in Trenton today.

Z LINE

Directed by Elisa Steele (2015, 7 min.)

With jobs moving farther away from the city, much of Trenton’s working population is hard-pressed just to find a way to get to work.  As an answer to transportation woes, the new ZLine shuttle offers Amazon employees a reliable transportation mode and a community to depend on.  Come along for a ride!

TRENTON MADE: A FAMILY UNITED

Directed by Emily Kraeck (2015, 8 min.)

The story of a motivated young couple working their hardest to maintain a family and make their way in a city, an era, and a cultural and economic climate in which many families do not stay together.

KAYLA

Directed by Andrew Hunt (2015, 6 min.)

Despite a difficult employment climate in Trenton, Kayla works as a carpenters' apprentice with high hopes for the future.

FROM MY SHOP WINDOW

Directed by Sharon Deng , 2015 (7 min)

A refreshing look into the life of a self-made businessman and his fancy ladies’ clothing store, this short offers an often-overlooked tale of Trentonians working together to bring the city back to life.

WORKERS UNPROTECTED

Directed by Sofia Hiltner  (2015, 7 min.)

This short explores the causes and implications of wage theft, profiling a local Latin American immigrant worker and the Princeton officials who help her. 

A FORK IN THE ROAD

Directed by Ava Rose Hoffman (2015, 8 min.)

A Fork in the Road traces the parallel stories of mentee, Lamar, and mentor, Andre. From involvement in the criminal justice system to a path towards self-development, employment and community development, these Trentonians have overcome great adversity. How did they "get through it"?

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