Greetings from Asbury Park documentary

Greetings from Asbury Parkdocumentary to Air on PBS
Throughout the Month of July

AIR DATES:
WHYY July 4th
NJN2 July 6 —July 12
WLIW July 11 —15

The award-winning documentary,Greetings from Asbury Park,
will air on several PBS stations in New York, New Jersey and
Philadelphia throughout the month of July starting on the 4th. The
film follows 91-year-old Angie Hampilos, a Greek immigrant and the
great aunt of filmmaker Christina Eliopoulos, as she learns that her
seaside bungalow—her home of over 50 years—will be taken by eminent
domain to make way for luxury condominiums.

The
film was written, directed, produced and narrated by Asbury Park native
Christina Eliopoulos, whose family emigrated to Asbury Park in 1917.
The movie, a valentine to her hometown, combines intimate
recollections, home movies, rare archival footage, thrilling
cinematography and a dynamic soundtrack to recreate the postcard
playland and boardwalk dreamland that was the resort city of Asbury
Park. The film reveals that 29 blocks, 56 acres of waterfront homes,
apartment buildings, historic boardwalk attractions and businesses, are
to be boarded up, and made ready for the wrecking ball.

In
one poignant scene, Bruce Springsteen' song Tunnel of Loveplays
over images of teenagers on the famous fun house rides of Palace
Amusements and is followed by footage of the dismantling of the
carousel horses, and finally, the destruction of the Palace. In another
scene, we see Angie, the bulldozers in her backyard, wondering what
will become of her beloved flower garden. Walking past streets of
boarded up homes, she asks, Where did everyone go?She and her
neighbors join a prayer vigil, appeal to the city' leaders, and
ultimately, face the harrowing reality: A court battle is overwhelming
and their homes and business will be taken so that others can live
there.

Having
my Auntie' house by the beach slated to be taken is the flip side of
the American dream, so it is very meaningful to me that the film will
be broadcast on the 4th of July,said Ms. Eliopoulos.The film is an
exploration of the price of progress, said Ms. Eliopoulos. For the
film, she interviewed three generations of her family, her neighbors,
local government officials as well as prominent historians and experts
on redevelopment and eminent domain.

Many
in our community like my auntie—immigrants, older folks, working class
folks —endured three decades of rust, riot and ruin and they never lost
hope and they never lost heart,she said. Yet these same families
were the first ones who were told that they had to leave.”

Asbury
Park is a key example of the lengths to which municipalities across New
Jersey and the nation will go in pursuit of redevelopment,including
the elimination of historic landmarks, local identity and sense of
place, established ethnic neighborhoods and older communities said
producer Kerry Margaret Butch.

The
documentary was in production at the time of the 2005 landmark U.S.
Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London, where a narrow
majority ruled that cities may use eminent domain solely based on a
projected increase in tax revenue.

Although
New Jersey courts have begun siding with property owners, it remains a
steep uphill battle for property owners to keep what they have worked
so hard to own. More often than not, it' business as usual in New
Jersey, as officials continue to seize perfectly fine properties for
their developer friends. But there is hope. We’ve seen dozens of
projects defeated across the country, by ordinary citizens who
organized their communities, learned the law and educated their elected
officials,remarked Dana Berliner, Senior Attorney for the Institute
for Justice and Co-Counsel on the Kelo case, one of many experts who
appears in the film.

Currently,
the issue is burning up communities all across New York, New Jersey,
Philadelphia, New York City and Long Island, especially Suffolk county
communities like Riverhead, Patchogue and areas all across the New York
City/Metro region such as Coney Island, Willets Point in Queens, the
Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, as well as Yonkers and Peekskill.

After
garnering the top prize for Best Documentary at the New Jersey
International Film Festival in June 2008, the film had a short run on
the festival circuit. The film will air on the following PBS stations:
Philadelphia station WHYY on July 4th, New Jersey' NJN2 on July 6th –
12th and beginning July 11th on New York' WLIW. For additional
information about the film, visit
www.greetingsfromasburyparkmovie.com.

The
film is fiscally sponsored by Women Make Movies, a national non-profit
media arts organization dedicated to the production and promotion of
films by women directors, producers and cinematographers.

For more information about air dates, and a sneak peak trailer, visit www.greetingsfromasburyparkmovie.com

Please contact:
Producer, Kerry Margaret Butch at 732 306 8701
Director, Christina Eliopoulos at 732 406 2907