Kelly Street Garden

The Kelly Street Garden film explores the core mission of the garden to provide healthy food and community programming to our local South Bronx residents free of charge. The community's effort not only feeds people physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. Through Art workshops, Qi Gong, Yoga, cooking demos and herbal medicine they have created a space where the stressors of the community and daily life can be left at the door. Through a robust and free market, the garden's stewards directly provide a path to better nutrition. This film casts a light on the healing components of food, justice, equality, culture, coupled with the opportunity to improve mind and body in an oasis of healing in a community that has faced many challenges over the past several decades.

  • Matthew Kohn
    Director
    Call it Democracy, Luxe Hotel
  • Matthew Kohn
    Writer
  • Matthew Kohn
    Producer
  • Bruce Zeines
    Producer
  • Sheryll Durrant
    Key Cast
    "Resident Garden Manager"
  • Sunny Vasquez
    Key Cast
    "Assistant Garden Manager"
  • Renee Keitt
    Key Cast
    "Garden Manager"
  • Qiana Mickie
    Key Cast
    "Director, NYC Mayor's Office of Urban Agriculture"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Social Justice, Environment, Women, Food, Food Justice, Human Rights
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4K RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Matthew Kohn

Most well known for his feature documentary, CALL IT DEMOCRACY, a film about the injustice of voting within the system of the Electoral College, filmmaker Matt Kohn (mattkohn.net) has crafted stories from truth and poetry in Mexico, France, Germany, Ukraine, the UK, Iceland, Chad, Uganda, Sudan, South Sudan, and South Africa . This travel speaks to Matt Kohn’s second feature, OUR TALL MAN, a documentary about South Sudanese NBA star Manute Bol in his home country working to create a system of education that would benefit everyone.

His most recent short film is Luxe Hotel, a documentary about his durational theater piece Luxe Hotel, which featured twenty actors repeating a cycle of violence, fear and forgiveness. It was included in the NYC Indie Theater Film Festival and the Segal Festival in 2022.

Matt shot parts of the Academy Award short listed HBO film HEART OF A DOG for Laurie Anderson, as well as her projects Delusion and Habeus Corpus, featuring a former Guantanamo Bay detainee. He also produced CHARLIE VICTOR ROMEO, the first 3D Feature Film at the Sundance Film Festival. The film re-enacts blackbox recordings to harrowing effect.

For many years, Matt curated guests for his monthly film screening series, SPEAKEASY CINEMA at TORN PAGE, awarded Village Voice’s “Best of NY 2016.” for the category of “film date night.”

Matt graduated Brandeis University with a degree in Political Science, with an emphasis in film studies and feminist political theory.

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