Cities devastated by industrial closures ought to by no means be written off for lifeless. “The Place That Makes Us” seems at a handful of individuals making an attempt to revitalize Youngstown, Ohio, the place the shuttering of metal mills led to an exodus of residents, a rash of vacant houses and an ebb of civic engagement.
The film, directed by Karla Murthy, considerably, maybe even too narrowly focuses on the work of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, a nonprofit that rehabilitates empty homes, with the purpose of turning ghost blocks into fascinating neighborhoods. The topics profiled embrace Ian Beniston, the group’s government director, and Tiffany Sokol, its housing director, who removes plywood from a door and takes us by the method of surveying an deserted house’s potential. By the tip, we’ve seen it offered, to a brand new proprietor we’ve gotten to know.
Elsewhere, Julius T. Oliver, a metropolis councilman, concentrates on investing in Youngstown’s youth by pushing to reopen a once-thriving basketball area. With the filmmakers, he visits the previous websites of the 2 homes he grew up in. (After talking of violence across the first location, he says that the issues ultimately traveled to the second.) Early on, he talks about how, as a businessman, he discovered {that a} easy notion {that a} neighborhood “looks scary” can deter potential clients.
The households’ tales assist flip “The Place That Makes Us” into greater than a coverage proposal in movement. Ian’s father, a former steelworker, says, “If I had to do it over again, I would not have been in Youngstown.” Ian and his sister, Abby, who’ve chosen to remain, have a extra optimistic outlook.
The Place That Make Us
Not Rated. Running time: 1 hour 10 minutes. Watch on PBS platforms.
