The Films of Richard Broadman
Committed to presenting the complexity of society’s problems from “the voices and tales of people not usually presented in the media,” Richard Broadman (1946 - 2000) was an uncompromising filmmaker who specialized in chronicling the American urban experience through oral history. DER is proud to inherit this invaluable film collection, most of which are now available on DVD for the first time:
Brownsville Black and White color, 83 minutes
Explores the complex history of interracial cooperation, urban change, and social conflict in Brownsville, New York - location of the 1968 Ocean Hill Brownsville School War, in which the African-American (and Hispanic) community battled the predominantly white-and-Jewish teachers union. Read more 
Mission Hill and the Miracle of Boston b&w, 60 minutes
Spurred by the large institutional forces that reshaped Boston, developers and speculators buy and sell the neighborhood as the displaced poor population and an encroaching affluent population play out the story of urban renewal together. Read more 
Down The Project: The Crisis of Public Housing b&w, 60 minutes
The story of the early days of two Boston-area projects that housed working families and how they, along with the concept of government housing, have since been in decline. Read more 
Water and the Dream of the Engineers color, 80 minutes
A feature-length film in 4 sections for easy classroom use, Water is an educational odyssey exploring engineering, environmentalism, and the troubled relations between these two traditions. Read more 
Love Stories: Women, Men, & Romance color, 85 minutes
Provides both a history and a modern-day portrait of the changing attitudes and expectations surrounding romantic relationships. Part I, “Women,” documents the growth of feminist values; Part II, “Men,” shows male reaction to a changing world; Part III, “Romance,” portrays a new dynamic of male/female relations. Read more 
The Collective: Fifteen Years Later b&w, 60 minutes
The story of one collective in the 1970s - their successes, failures, and how they view themselves and the ideals for which they campaigned, while looking back fifteen years later. Read more 
Children of Labor: A Finnish-American Histoy b&w, 55 minutes
Three generations of Finnish-Americans recount how they coped with harsh realities by creating their own institutions: churches, temperance halls, socialist halls, and cooperatives. Read more 