Tribeca Winding Down
BY CYNDI GREENING, MANHATTAN, USA – Most of the winners have been announced, many of the filmmakers have gone, the lines are dissipating. The Tribeca Film Festival is winding down. 
Not surprising, the films that were recognized were serious in subject and tone. This is to be expected from a festival created in response to the terrorist attack. It's interesting to note that the award-winning documentary film by Alex Gibney, TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE, was about a cabbie who was detained and died after sustained brutalization by the U.S. military. While DeNiro and Rosenthal were propelled to start a film festival. According to Gibney, the Bush Administration opted to legitimize abuse and torture as a result of the attack. At the end of the film, Gibney's father (who had been a longtime military interrogator) laments what has become of his profession. It's a powerful statement and explains Gibney's interest in the subject. I recall Gibney from Sundance with his film, ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM.
Speaking of things that have changed since 9/11, we were told that they're no longer doing tours of the Statue of the Liberty and have seriously restricted activities around Ellis Island and Liberty Island. We decided to catch the Staten Island Ferry so we could see Lady Liberty. 
We were on the southbound subway trying to figure out to get to Bowling Green. Kimani, a young woman helped us negotiate the trip. We got to chatting and she told us about her life on Staten Island. She attends high school in the city and hopes to go into fashion design. She talked about her Grandma Lisa (who is actually younger than I am). She ended up being on the same ferry with us. She told us about her friend, an actress who did several LAW AND ORDER episodes. She talked about an independent film she'd had an opportunity to be in. She told us about Snug Harbor and the Underground Railroad. It was a fun journey.
We stood outside on the deck to enjoy the wind and the view on the way to Staten Island AND on the way back. It got a bit brisk so we had to go inside for awhile. At the end, we went back outside and asked the ferry worker where the twin towers had been. "Ten blocks straight ahead," he said. He pointed at the blank spot in the skyline. That's why we ended up here in the first place, that gap in the skyline.
