Directed by Phoebe Tooke (2003)
16mm, B&W, TRT 15 min
Hotel City is a short social and poetic documentary about the struggles of tenants living in SRO (Single Residence Occupancy) hotels and how they are empowering themselves to make changes. SROs have become the housing of last resort, “the first step out of homelessness, and the last step to homelessness.” The conditions in these hotels and the communities surrounding them have severely deteriorated over the years. Hotel City uses the testimonies of four SRO tenants that are involved with the Central City SRO Collaborative, a group of SRO tenants and community members. The Collaborative’s goal is not only to improve the living conditions and safety of SROs, but also to address larger issues facing this community.
Awards:
Best Documentary Film-Documentary Film Institute
Juhn Gutman Award-San Francisco State University
Selected list of Screenings:
• Architecture in the City Series Screening ’06
• Academy of Motion Pictures/Contemporary Documentary Series ’06
• Shelter Exhibition, Million Fishes Gallery ‘05
• Silverdocs, AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Film Festival ’04
• IDA InFact Documentary Showcase ’04
• IDA InFact Documentary 4 City Tour ’04
• MadCat International Women’s Film Festival ’04
• Film Arts Festival of Independent Cinema ’04
• SF Indiefest ‘05
•First Look Film Festival presented by IFC ‘04