Coney Island: "The Phantom City of Fire"

I love to watch talks and documentaries while I work. And I've been so busy working lately that I've been watching a number of things. This documentary is such a stand out that I wanted to share it with you. It is fantastic to see all of the old photos and film footage and hear all of the details I never knew of this wondrously strange place. Like many people, I have for a long time been enamored with Coney Island and what a story the story of Coney Island is! It speaks so much to us as a people; the way we dream, play, strive for new, bigger, better things, our fascination with what we don't understand and the many ways we intentionally and unintentionally hurt each other and ourselves. The story of Coney Island seems to me to be a story we hear again and again throughout history and one that everyone can relate to on some level...

At first an innocent spark becomes something and it's a something that is worth holding on to. Then, what is worth holding onto becomes something worth improving upon. Something worth improving upon becomes something beyond what was ever imagined or intended. Then that something beyond the wildest of dreams becomes something that is not sustainable. If we are lucky, once the unsustainable has collapsed, we will see the original spark in the rubble and remember what was truly important. The spark can become for us more brilliant than the fire. But so often in this life I think we are so struck with grief over the death of our dreams that we can't bear to look at the spark again.

I loved this quote from the film:

"Down here at Coney island at the end of the season, I'm made to feel very sad. Mammoth empty buildings created by extraordinarily optimistic architects remind me in an unpleasant manner of my youthful dreams.  There is a mighty pathos in these gaunt and hollow buildings impassively and stolidly suffering from an enormous hunger for the public." - Steven Crane

I just added Harvey Stein's book, Coney Islandto my wishlist.

Have you seen the film? What are your thoughts on it?

Please be forewarned if you haven't seen this documentary that there is a terrible moment in the film when an elephant is killed. It is very upsetting and troubling so if you're like me, you may want to skip through that part.

I've been a bit M.I.A. as of late. I'm finishing off the final Teetoo Christmas orders and preparing for my daughter's birthday and Christmas. I don't mind telling you that I am looking forward to a day when I can sleep a lot more :)

♥ Andrea ♥