SCREEN GRAB #3
Anthony Cali aka Helgen X shooting photograph of me shooting film of him.
I am about to meet up with Anthony at a Japanese spot in the East Village to discuss the direction of the movie. Good things are happening. I have realized the movie will not end with the closing of Chinatown Fair. It goes way beyond that. I have a feeling the movie is going to follow the community to wherever it may go - the next CF, Babycastles, Next Level, basements, apartments, etc.
The story of ARCADE is about Chinatown Fair, but that means it is about the community itself and the community lives on beyond the walls of 8 Mott Street.
Old Dirty Bastard visited Chinatown Fair back in the 1990’s.
This is a glance into Chinatown Fair. It’s 3:30 on a Friday afternoon. ARCADE is a feature length documentary about Chinatown Fair, New York’s last arcade. After half a century of being in business Chinatown Fair suddenly closed after receiving an unexpected eviction notice, echoing the fate of many other small businesses in New York City. The arcade is yet another NYC landmark to be lost.
Filmed during Chinatown Fair’s last day in business, the movie captures the diverse community that called the arcade home. Interviews with Chinatown Fair regulars reveal a subculture full of surprising stories and amazing characters.
