“The film is set in Dublin, but this is happening everywhere. Same stories, different faces and places.
“These aren’t isolated incidents. They’re symptoms of something structural: the subordination of social life to profit.
“As Lefebvre put it, the Right to the City is both ‘a cry and a demand’.
“This film is a part of that cry.”
These are the words of James Redmond, director of Displace: The Battle for Dublin, moments before the screening of his film at the Central Scotland Documentary Festival.
Displace: The Battle for Dublin follows various groups in the Irish capital as they resist hyper-commercialism, fighting to protect cultural spaces from the capitalist forces that are gradually eradicating them for profit.
Redmond notes that the documentary was inspired by the concept of the Right to the City, popularised by French philosopher Henri Lefebvre in the 1960s. Lefebvre warned of the commodification of the city by developers and corporations, who would reduce these spaces into a dormitory, not a place in which people can live.
Displace
This philosophy mirrors the current social and political climates in Dublin. The Iveagh Markets sit closed and derelict. Once a space for Dubliners to trade and support those of all social classes, it was closed at the end of the 90s and remains so to this day. It is just one of many spaces that have closed as clubs, art studios, music venues and other cultural hubs are being demolished and replaced by buildings that will benefit private investors, while the citizens are pushed to the periphery.
The choice to have the film be in black and white suggests an element of timelessness. The struggles of the people have existed for decades and will only continue to exist if there is no fight for change. It also strips down the issue at hand – the serious nature of the documentary is reflected in its presentation of the subject. The problems themselves are ‘black and white’; it is not difficult to see that the greed of developers is negatively impacting lives and is an attack on the city’s culture.
The participants in the film are locals. Artists, residents and people from all walks of life who have been evicted or are living in poor conditions due to neglect by landlords and the Dublin City Council. They each tell their stories and how they have been affected by those who organise the city in a way which will reap profit, rather than according to the needs of those who live there.
The Battle for Dublin
Redmond highlights the different forms of protests, with displays of people using pickets, music, dancing, and other peaceful methods that bring attention to the demands of the people. He also follows groups such as CATU in their efforts to support those who have been unjustly evicted or neglected by landlords, are living in overcrowded or derelict accommodation, and take a stand against the increased cost of living.
In this way, Displace: The Battle for Dublin is a poignant film which brings attention to the needs of the people – who suffer under capitalism – and highlights the necessity for change. It is bold in its approach, addressing the root of the struggle and proposing resolutions.
If Displace: The Battle for Dublin is a cry for the Right to the City, then it is a fervid one of great fury and desperation. The people are rediscovering their collective power, fighting against a system that neglects them. This film is not only part of this battle but also an incisive depiction of it.
Feature Image credit: Macrobert Arts Centre / James Redmond
