Street Fight (film)
Encyclopedia
Street Fight is a documentary
by filmmaker Marshall Curry
, chronicling Cory Booker
's 2002 campaign against Sharpe James
for mayor
of Newark, New Jersey
. Other credits include Rory Kennedy
(executive producer), Liz Garbus
(executive producer), Mary Manhardt (additional editor), Marisa Karplus (associate producer), and Adam Etline (story consultant).
Street Fight screened at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival
and was later aired on the PBS
series P.O.V.
on July 5, 2005, and CBC Newsworld
in Canada
on May 7, 2006.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
.
member against a 16-year incumbent
mayor (James) with a powerful political machine
. The documentary follows Booker and several of his campaign workers from their early days of door-knocking on Newark streets through the campaign's dramatic conclusion. Through the course of the film, Booker's living conditions, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, political affiliations, and his position in Newark are questioned. From 1998 to 2006, Booker lived in Brick Towers, one of the city's worst public housing buildings, which some accused to be a tactic for acceptance by his constituents. As the election campaigns escalate, Booker receives endorsements from Spike Lee
, Cornel West
, and other prominent African American figures. The movie brings to light many issues plaguing minority communities in Newark and reveals how the city government has failed to acknowledge these issues. The film also raises questions of race, and what it means to be "black," as Sharpe James questions Booker's African American heritage and roots to his community.
Curry captures on film corrupt attempts by Mayor Sharpe James and city employees, including police and "code enforcement," to sabotage Booker's campaign, using tactics that include shutting down local businesses that hold Booker fundraisers, demoting
city workers who support Booker, and demolishing Booker signs in violation of a standing order by a federal judge
, in what becomes a true urban political "street fight." In one memorable scene, city police assault the documentary maker on a public sidewalk for filming the mayor, breaking the microphone off his camera in broad daylight in front of other journalists.
, winning over 70% of the vote. On July 1, 2006, Booker was sworn in as the 36th mayor of Newark. James continued to serve in the New Jersey State Senate
until 8 January 2008.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by filmmaker Marshall Curry
Marshall Curry
Marshall Curry is a documentary filmmaker. His first feature-length film, Street Fight, was nominated for an Academy Award and a News and Documentary Emmy. His second film, Racing Dreams, won Best Documentary and was runner up for the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009...
, chronicling Cory Booker
Cory Booker
Cory Anthony Booker is the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Booker is a former Newark City Councilman...
's 2002 campaign against Sharpe James
Sharpe James
Sharpe James is a Democratic politician and convicted felon from New Jersey, who served as State Senator for the 29th Legislative District and was 35th Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. James was the second African American Mayor of Newark and served five four-year terms before declining to run for...
for mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. Other credits include Rory Kennedy
Rory Kennedy
Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy is an American documentary filmmaker and producer. She is the youngest of the eleven children of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and his wife Ethel .-Early life and education:...
(executive producer), Liz Garbus
Liz Garbus
Liz Garbus is an award-winning documentary film director and producer. Her most recent film, Bobby Fischer Against the World, opened the Premiere Documentary Section of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, reserved for master American documentary filmmakers...
(executive producer), Mary Manhardt (additional editor), Marisa Karplus (associate producer), and Adam Etline (story consultant).
Street Fight screened at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
and was later aired on the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
series P.O.V.
P.O.V.
POV is a Public Broadcasting Service Public television series which features independent nonfiction films. POV is a cinema term for "point of view"....
on July 5, 2005, and CBC Newsworld
CBC Newsworld
CBC News Network is a Canadian English language Category C specialty news channel owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . It broadcasts into over 10 million homes in Canada. It is the world's third-oldest television service of this nature, after CNN in the United States and...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on May 7, 2006.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
Academy Award for Documentary Feature
The Academy Award for Documentary Feature is among the most prestigious awards for documentary films.- Winners and nominees:Following the Academy's practice, films are listed below by the award year...
.
Synopsis
The film details the hard-fought mayoral campaign by a young community activist (Booker) and City CouncilCity council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
member against a 16-year incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
mayor (James) with a powerful political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
. The documentary follows Booker and several of his campaign workers from their early days of door-knocking on Newark streets through the campaign's dramatic conclusion. Through the course of the film, Booker's living conditions, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, political affiliations, and his position in Newark are questioned. From 1998 to 2006, Booker lived in Brick Towers, one of the city's worst public housing buildings, which some accused to be a tactic for acceptance by his constituents. As the election campaigns escalate, Booker receives endorsements from Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
, Cornel West
Cornel West
Cornel Ronald West is an American philosopher, author, critic, actor, civil rights activist and prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America....
, and other prominent African American figures. The movie brings to light many issues plaguing minority communities in Newark and reveals how the city government has failed to acknowledge these issues. The film also raises questions of race, and what it means to be "black," as Sharpe James questions Booker's African American heritage and roots to his community.
Curry captures on film corrupt attempts by Mayor Sharpe James and city employees, including police and "code enforcement," to sabotage Booker's campaign, using tactics that include shutting down local businesses that hold Booker fundraisers, demoting
Demotion
A demotion is a reduction in an employee's rank or job title within the organizational hierarchy of a company, public service department, or other body. A demotion may also lead to the loss of other privileges associated with a more senior rank and/or a reduction in salary or benefits...
city workers who support Booker, and demolishing Booker signs in violation of a standing order by a federal judge
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
, in what becomes a true urban political "street fight." In one memorable scene, city police assault the documentary maker on a public sidewalk for filming the mayor, breaking the microphone off his camera in broad daylight in front of other journalists.
Aftermath
Booker fell short in his 2002 bid to unseat incumbent Sharpe James. In 2006, James decided not to run for a sixth term of office, and Booker defeated Ronald RiceRonald Rice
Ronald L. Rice is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey State Senate since 1986, where he represents the 28th Legislative District...
, winning over 70% of the vote. On July 1, 2006, Booker was sworn in as the 36th mayor of Newark. James continued to serve in the New Jersey State Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
until 8 January 2008.