Title: Decade of Fire
Rating: Not Rated
Director: Gretchen Hildebran, Vivian Vazquez
Starring: Vivian Vazquez
Runtime: 1 hr 16 mins

What It Is: As a kid in the South Bronx in the 1970s, Vivian Vazquez watched her tight-knit community become a burned-out ruin as an epidemic of fires raged through her Black and Puerto Rican neighborhood. As Vivian seeks to understand the lasting effects of this tragedy on her family and community, she uncovers a story of injustice, survival, and hope that resonates deeply in cities today.

What We Think: Educational and inspiring! This documentary was unbelievably shocking and surprising in many ways. Prior to watching it, I immediately made the assumption that what I was about to watch was potentially going to be extremely boring. I was proven very wrong. This documentary is a perfect example of a story which screams “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Looking into the production value, the editing was quite impressive, and everything from the cinematography to the lighting and sound was done very well. In regards to the story driving this film, it was insightful in many ways. It was fascinating learning the history behind the Bronx and the fires that took place for so long. To hear about so much destruction that went on for years and for many years learning how it only got worse before it got any better was heartbreaking and sometimes even devastating. The thing that truly drove this film home was discovering how the community rebuilt itself and fought for change. Many very brave individuals chose to take a step forward and took charge to see the change they wanted to see even with all the setbacks and roadblocks facing them. This film is a perfect example of what it means to stay strong, have faith and to push ahead even when times get tough.

Our Grade: A, This is a film which truly showcases the evolution of the Bronx, the human spirit and how a community can create enormous amounts of change by sticking together and fighting for love, respect, and equality.