Saving Etting Street

Master carpenter Shelley Halstead trains a group of young Black women in carpentry, electrical work, and plumbing skills as they rebuild vacant row houses in a formerly redlined neighborhood in Baltimore. Once completed, these newly-minted tradeswomen will have the opportunity to buy and move into the homes they just rehabilitated. Halstead calls her project Black Women Build - Baltimore, and together, the women set out to transform a block on Etting Street into a community of Black women first-time homeowners.

Weaving the history of redlining and other racist housing policies that led to Baltimore's vacant housing crisis, Saving Etting Street explores a promising community-led solution. Yet building community is hard work— particularly when the women doing the work are dealing with the trauma and systemic barriers faced by so many Black women. Tensions arise in the group as the apprentices struggle to adapt to the program's rigor and collaborative foundation, while Shelley works to bring compassion into her leadership practice. And when a suspicious fire breaks out, Halstead questions if the neighborhood is ready for her vision.

Amidst the struggle, questions arise as to how effective any one well-intentioned program can be while operating within a deeply flawed super-structure. Nevertheless, Saving Etting Street reveals the power of collective care and the refusal to wait for rescue.

Preview link available upon request. Contact support@videoproject for more information

A Film by Dena Fisher and Amy Scott

68 minutes

Scene Selection • Closed Captioned

Grades 10 - Adult

Item #: SES-2098

In Baltimore, a master carpenter rebuilds a block of abandoned row houses into a community of Black women homeowners

Starting at $89

Licensing Options

K-12 Classroom, Public Libraries: DVD - $99 K-12 Classroom, Public Libraries DVD + Digital File - $149 Colleges, Businesses, and Institutions: DVD - $395 Colleges, Businesses, and Institutions: DVD with Digital Site License - $495 Colleges, Businesses, and Institutions: DVD with Digital Site License (Hosted) - $595 K-12 School District pricing available. Please inquire at [email protected] Community Screenings: Please Complete 'Host a Screening' Form found on top menu bar

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Reviews and Festivals

"Saving Etting Street allows a unique and intimate portrait of what it takes to enact real change, both for the larger community and the individuals within it."

— Dominic Griffin, Baltimore Beat

"The women's personal journeys and stories of determination and community offer a powerful blueprint for breaking cycles of poverty and revitalizing neighborhoods from within"

— Karen McMullen, DOC NYC

"A galvanizing testament to the power of community, and an honest and vital look at the people who are most impacted by systemic housing injustice, but whose stories are often overlooked... Avoided any easy generalizations or sugarcoating of the issues— by embracing the complexities, Fisher and Scott highlight the humanity of people who are so often discarded. That authenticity and intentionality is something that audiences everywhere will respond to."

— Celeste Wong, Features Programmer, San Francisco Documentary Festival

"Saving Etting Street is a 'must see' for city leaders and philanthropy to appreciate the magnitude of the work that small Black developers face when working to restore and rebuild in historically redlined neighborhoods."

— Dr. Lawrence T. Brown, research scientist, Morgan State University's Center for Urban Health Equity / author, The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and space in America

"A wonderful portrait of a woman trying to save her city one woman and one home at a time. It's a great look at trying to make a difference in her city and making a seismic change. It's a story that will make you smile and wonder why this isn't being done in other cities. Recommended."

— Steve Kopian, Unseen Films

"Highlights common issues that are felt all over the country. Everywhere you look there are Black neighborhoods suffering from a history of redlining and disinvestment. There are also people trying to survive and thrive through stable housing. Required viewing for anyone working in this space as an affirmation of what is possible when we come together with a common purpose."

— Angie Ellison, Co-Chair, Women's Community Revitalization Project

"Saving Etting Street opens a conversation about gender roles in trade work, redlining, systemic racial inequalities, and the barriers and benefits of home ownership."

— Vancouver Queer Film Festival

WINNER

Sidewalk Film Festival, Best Black Lens Feature Film

Berlin Indie Film Festival, Best Original Score

RUNNER UP

Woods Hole Film Festival, Best Documentary Feature

OFFICIAL SELECTION

DOC NYC

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Maryland Film Festival

Newark LGBTQ Film Festival

Fort Myers Film Festival

San Francisco Documentary Festival

Woods Hole Film Festival

Vancouver Queer Film Festival

Sidewalk Film Festival

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