Dark Days

Under New York there is an unused railway tunnel. People live there. Some have been there for years: they have built huts, run electricity off the line, set up stoves, kept dogs and built an order of their own. The documentary was shot by living with them. The man carrying the camera lived in the same tunnel and the crew was made up of people living there. Marc Singer directs. The documentary dates from 2000. The director had no background in film; he learned the camera and the technique while shooting, and the people in the tunnel made it with him. The image is black and white and in low light; the lighting was run off the same electricity taken from the line. The music is by DJ Shadow, who gave the recordings for the film. The ending is tied to a particular event: the railway company decides to clear the tunnel and a housing process begins for those living there. The narrative does not ask for pity; the people describe their own lives and the film passes no comment. It won awards at Sundance and became an often cited example in independent documentary. Who it is for: viewers who like observational documentary and narratives about city life. Who it is not for: the image quality is poor, the structure loose, and the subject heavy.