Two Square Miles Reviews

JOHN ASHBERY

"A fascinating account of a small, struggling upstate city's attempts to survive by reinventing itself in the 21st century."

PETER BISKIND

"Barbara Ettinger's documentary on Hudson, NY and the Columbia County-wide battle over the St. Lawrence cement plant is a riveting portrait of a town in turmoil, divided by class and political differences stirred up by the Swiss-owned multi-national that pushed the plant. The film's picture of clownish and clueless city officials would be funny if it weren't such a sorry commentary on local democracy in action. But ironically, the vacuum at the top provoked an angry rebellion at the bottom. Like Spike Lee in When the Levees Broke, Ettinger has found an array of sharp-tongued, compelling witnesses who tell the story in their own words. The community response, ultimately successful, is nearly as stirring as Hollywood's versions of similar struggles in Erin Brockovitch, A Civil Action, or North Country."

ROBERT DOWNEY

"Moving, original and relevant to anyone involved in what it means to live in a community. Two Square Miles proves that there is more to the Hudson than just a river."

 

DAVID BLACK

"Two Square Miles is a film about an American town that is all American towns.  Smart, passionate, and wise, this documentary explores what makes -- and breaks -- a community.  And, in doing so, reveals to us the only mystery worth investigating -- the mystery of what happens in the human heart."

 

RUDY WURLITZER

"Two Square Miles offers a passionate portrait of a small beleaguered city as it tries to define itself in a changing world of corporate take-over and environmental corruptions. Even though the city is small, its furious and eccentric displays of humanity are big and complex enough to include the entire country."

ANDREW RIESER

"Too many political movies trade in righteous indignation and conspiracy theory. In a refreshing departure, Two Square Miles gently conveys an essentially optimistic story. "Can small-town America save itself?" it asks? Yes, it can. [...] Expertly written, shot, edited, and scored, it invites you to envision an age beyond the apocalyptic battle with unfeeling corporations and to rejoice at the second coming of American democracy -- seriously."

THE NANTUCKET INDEPENDENT

"The documentary doesn't seek to compartmentalize the citizens of Hudson as small town archetypes, but prides itself on peeling back the layers of diversity in Hudson's ranks."