Dmitri Kasterine launches second round of funding

The photographer Dmitri Kasterine, author of Newburgh: Portrait of a City (2012), has launched a Kickstarter campaign to complete a documentary about the city, Newburgh: Beauty and Tragedy. During the summer of 2015, he raised enough money from a Kickstarter campaign to finish the main filming in downtown Newburgh, including paying three apprentices. The latest round of funding will pay for pick-up shots, editing and post production, and screenings of the film in the Hudson Valley. The first screening will be in Newburgh.

One of the film's apprentices (photo provided)
One of the film’s apprentices (photo provided)

“Making a film to reveal the hardship suffered by individuals and families, to give a voice to families who live in uninhabitable houses is, I believe, a compelling way of showing what is actually happening to the fabric and the people of Newburgh,” Kasterine said. “I could go back to Newburgh a thousand times and still see its beauty. But I would also see the neglect and disregard for its citizens.

“Many believe as I do that the future of Newburgh depends on jobs. Through the medium of this film my aim is to move people in positions of influence and power—those people who can attract corporations and investors that give rise to jobs—to move them to take notice, and then to take action. A golden opportunity: Young people crying out for jobs, willing to learn, as I have so agreeably experienced with my assistants, and land available at reasonable cost to build.”

To contribute, visit kickstarter.com. The campaign goal is $7,500 by May 12.

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