HOLY MOSES! THE CONTROVERSIAL LEGACY OF ROBERT MOSES

I love watching movies – from superheroes to documentaries. Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted to make my own films. I made my first film in 4th grade about a Native American healer that I edited using iMovie. When I was in 5th grade there was a raffle at my school. One of the prizes was to make a film about Robert Moses with my teacher Rod Alonzo. I won the raffle! Everyone thought it was going to be a small project: one day of shooting and a few days of editing, but I was inspired to do more. Because of my love of storytelling, editing pictures and sounds, and my fascination with the city I live in, I made it into a 20-minute film that took two years to complete.

When I first researched Robert Moses I was amazed by how much of a controversial figure he was. He built many parks and public works, such as Jones Beach and Lincoln Center. He built most of New York’s bridges and tunnels. He made New York City what it is today, but he also tore down neighborhoods and displaced tens of thousands of people from their homes. He was not apologetic. In fact in my film he says, “You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs.”

In my research I found that many people were influenced by The Power Broker, by Robert Caro, which portrays Moses as corrupted by power. On the other hand, I also found articles that talked about how New York owes Moses a debt of gratitude for all the projects he built. In my film I try to show both sides, and let viewers decide for themselves whether Moses was good or bad for New York. My first idea was to edit the good and bad of Robert Moses together, but after a lot of experimenting with different ideas I decided to present his legacy in two parts: from the best to the worst.

Making the film posed many new challenges. To shoot the film I went to many locations. It was fun when we typed Throngs Neck Bridge, Cross Bronx Expressway, and Verrazano Bridge into the GPS and let it lead the way. By going to almost every tunnel, bridge, and highway in New York, I went to places I had never seen, and saw first-hand how much Robert Moses impacted New York City.

I had never composed music for a film before. I found that I enjoyed finding ways to make the images dance to the music. I also learned how to use Avid Media Composer, which has many more features than iMovie. To find archival images I went to the New York Public Library and the New York Historical Society. I contacted the New York Parks Commission, which sent me about 500 images and gave me the rights for free. I also watched other documentary films about Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs for archival footage.

I’ve worked harder on this film than anything else in my life. The film challenged the writer in me, the musician in me, the film editor in me, and the visual artist in me. It was fun to confront all of these challenges. I learned so much.