THE CITY DARK
84 minutes/US/English / Feature Documentary/Science & Technology
Director: Ian Cheney
thecitydark.com
SOUTHEAST PRIMERE / Filmed in Florida
ABOUT THE FILM: THE CITY DARK is a feature documentary about light pollution and the disappearing night sky, premiering in competition at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW 2011). After moving to New York City from rural Maine, filmmaker Ian Cheney asks a simple question, “Do we need the stars?” Exploring the threat of killer asteroids in Hawaii, tracking hatching turtles along the Florida coast, and rescuing injured birds on Chicago streets, Cheney unravels the myriad implications of a globe glittering with lights – including increased breast cancer rates from exposure to light at night, and a generation of kids without a glimpse of the universe above.
Featuring stunning astrophotography and a cast of eclectic scientists, philosophers, historians and lighting designers, THE CITY DARK is the definitive story of light pollution and the disappearing stars. Features interviews with Neil deGrasse Tyson (Astrophysicist, Hayden Planetarium), NASA astronauts, astronomers, renowned professors, and more. Source: filmmaker
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR: Ian Cheney is a Brooklyn-based documentary filmmaker. He grew up in New England and earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Yale. After graduate school he co-created and starred in the Peabody Award-winning theatrical hit and PBS documentary KING CORN (2007), directed the feature documentary THE GREENING OF SOUTHIE (Sundance Channel, 2008), and co-produced the Planet Green film BIG RIVER (2009). Ian maintains a 1/1000th acre farm in the back of his '86 Dodge pickup, which is at the center of his recent film TRUCK FARM (2011). He has been featured in the New Yorker, the New York Times, on CNN and on Good Morning America. An avid astrophotographer, he travels frequently to show his films, lead discussions and give talks about sustainability, agriculture, and the human relationship to the natural world. Source: filmmaker