Neighbor by Neighbor: Mobilizing an Invisible Community in Lewiston, Maine's primary photo
  • Neighbor by Neighbor: Mobilizing an Invisible Community in Lewiston, Maine (2009)
  • Unrated
    98 min | Documentary
Neighbor by Neighbor: Mobilizing an Invisible Community in Lewiston, Maine (2009)
Unrated
98 min | Documentary
In the summer of 2004, the Mayor of Lewiston, Maine announced a plan to develop a four-lane boulevard across downtown's low-income neighborhood. This project was called "The Heritage Initiative." Contrary to its name, this plan was going ...See moreIn the summer of 2004, the Mayor of Lewiston, Maine announced a plan to develop a four-lane boulevard across downtown's low-income neighborhood. This project was called "The Heritage Initiative." Contrary to its name, this plan was going to eliminate the downtown's heritage by displacing 850 people from their homes as well as destroy playgrounds, vegetable gardens, and historic buildings. Moving residents out of the city and improving traffic flow was at the heart of this proposal... It was 1960's Urban Renewal all over again. As tragic as the circumstances were, the threat of a road destroying the neighborhood required residents to rise to the challenge of becoming *community organizers. Instead of allowing their neighborhood to be paved over, the residents of downtown organized themselves into a group called "The Visible Community." They received support from non-residents alike - social service leaders, college students, and other people who recognized the Heritage Initiative as an unfair way of "cleaning up" the downtown at the expense of the people who lived there. What happened next was an incredible story of people coming together to protect their homes, hold their political leaders accountable, and work towards creating a democratic planning process that honored the input of low-income people as much as any other person's voice. This movie documents 5 years of development and community organizing in Lewiston, Maine. It reveals the strategies, the mistakes, the prejudices, the lessons... all of the difficult stuff that makes up the political process - the act of making decisions and setting policy TOGETHER. It's an exceptional story about the people of Lewiston, but it's also a universal story about the challenges faced by many urban neighborhoods across the United States. Written by Craig Saddlemire See less
Read more: Plot summary
Director
Craig Saddlemire
Writer
The Visible Community (written by)
Cinematographer
Craig Saddlemire
Editor
Craig Saddlemire
See all filmmakers & crew (2)
Trending

Become a member to see MOVIEmeter and news information about Neighbor by Neighbor: Mobilizing an Invisible Community in Lewiston, Maine.
Box Office

Become a member to see Box Office information about Neighbor by Neighbor: Mobilizing an Invisible Community in Lewiston, Maine.
Release date
Feb 26, 2009 (United States)

Contacts

+ Add

Become a member to see contact information for Neighbor by Neighbor: Mobilizing an Invisible Community in Lewiston, Maine.

Cast

 + Add Cast
0 cast members

Contribute to this section by adding a cast member

Add cast
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.
There was an issue loading this tab.

MOVIEmeter

Members only

Become a member to access additional data

Ratings Breakdown

1 external link (official websites, poster)