All are invited to a screening of the new documentary film The Area, followed by a conversation with protagonist & producer Deborah Payne and director, producer, and cinematographer David Schalliol, St. Olaf College Assistant Professor of Sociology.

The Area is a five-year odyssey of a South Side Chicago neighborhood, where more than 400 African-American families are being displaced by a multi-billion dollar freight company. The documentary film follows homeowner-turned-activist Deborah Payne, who vows to be “the last house standing,” and the Row Row Boys, teen friends who must start a new life across gang lines.

“The Area is an eye-opening saga of resistance. Four Stars.” —  Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader