“A marvelous testament to the power of community builders to restore hope in seemingly hopeless situations.”
— Jody Kretzmann
Asset Based Community Development Initiative, Northwestern University
“A dialogue that transforms the artists, curators, and citizens as much as the town’s economy… A warm, open, visually arresting account.”
— Austin Chronicle
“With humor and historical perspective, and utterly without condescension or artistic pretension, (Kelly) lets both the old city and the new museum speak for themselves… It’s a simple, memorable vision of what art can do.”
— Louise Kennedy, Boston Globe
Downside UP
©2002 — 56 minutes
Downside UP captures the beginnings of America’s largest museum of contemporary art, MASS MoCA (the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) and the rebirth of its host-city, North Adams. Through the eyes of filmmaker Nancy Kelly and her family, who worked in the factory before it closed, the film renders the subtle changes in the spirit of a region. Downside UP is about the tentative, dangerous notion of hope in a town widely viewed as hopeless.
Produced in partnership with WMHT.
Awards
Key Credits
Writer, Director, Producer: Nancy Kelly
Editor, Producer: Kenji Yamamoto
Director of Photography: Tomas Tucker, Lou Weinert
Sound Recording & Mix: Phil Perkins