Sometimes it’s hard to tell who is a “gentrifier” these days – or whether that word or concept still has any meaning. Film director Kelly Anderson, a self-proclaimed “gentrifier” from Brooklyn will talk about her journey and her neighborhood after a screening of her documentary My Brooklyn (see trailer below) at the International House (3701 Chestnut St.) on Tuesday.

Drawn to Brooklyn in 1988 by cheap rent and a “Bohemian culture,” Anderson watched through the nineties and particularly into the early part of the 21st century as luxury housing and chain stores changed the neighborhood forever. Starting to sound familiar? The changes spark conversations about “authenticity,” who controls the future of the neighborhood and cause Anderson to examine her own role in the changes to the neighborhood.

The film’s themes are relevant to many parts of West Philly.

The film focuses on the future of Fulton Mall, a popular African American and Caribbean shopping Center, that officials are considering razing. “The film’s ultimate questions become how to heal the deep racial wounds embedded in our urban development patterns, and how citizens can become active in restoring democracy to a broken planning process,” according to its website. The film is co-sponsored by the Scribe Video Center.

Here are the details:

Tuesday, April 9, 7 p.m.
International House Philadelphia
3701 Chestnut Street
$10, $8 students/seniors, $5 Scribe and IHP members

Here is a trailer: