West 47th Street

Running time: N/A

United States Premiere New York City is a symbol for many contrasting notions: from power, affluence, and togetherness to greed, crime, poverty, and loneliness. With the largest homeless population in the country, no trip is complete without seeing figures lying in doorways or mumbling to themselves. Regardless of the location, one statistic remains the same: the majority of homeless suffer from mental illness. Located in the Hell's Kitchen area of NYC, Fountain House is a mecca for people recovering from serious mental illness. Shot over three years, West 47th Street opens a window into the lives of those who are often feared, ignored, and seldom understood. Going beyond the simple problem/solution world of Prozac commercials, West 47th Street presents an intimate portrait of its inhabitants and how their lives are forever changed by their experiences within the program. Frances enters in dowdy drag but leaves a leading advocate for people with mental illness. Fitzroy foregoes his homeopathic anti-psychotic medication and terrorizes his roommates. Abandoned by her husband, schizophrenic Zenaib finds her confidence in the kitchen. As with life, not all stories end happily, but in West 47th Street, the optimism of Fountain House as well as the people who make it important inspires as it entertains. It reminds us once more why New York is so important to all. Reviewed by Meredith H. Sherter. Preceded by: Speechless (Danica McKellar, 20 min., USA) An emotionally uptight psych grad student unwittingly falls in love with her younger, speech impaired student, but his mother has something to say about it. Directed by and starring Danica McKellar (Wonder Years).