Bronx-born director Abel Ferrara has captured the streets of New York City in several of his feature films, including King of New York (1990) and Bad Lieutenant (1992). In Mulberry St., he energetically documents Manhattan’s Little Italy—where some of his earliest films were shot—during the famed San Gennaro feast. As Ferrara explains, the feast “brings all the characters out.” He introduces viewers to Butchie the Hat, Cha Cha, Joey Cigar, Baby John, and other neighborhood personalities, who reminisce about the pre-Giuliani feast—with its gambling, late-night hours, and lower expenses—as they erect vendor booths and prepare for the annual “invasion” of tourists. With the feast underway, actors and musicians including Danny Aiello, Dion DiMucci, Matthew Modine, and Frank Vincent make appearances. Ferrara reflects on a neighborhood that is “fighting for survival” in a changing New York. NOTE: This film contains repeated use of profanity.

Post-screening discussion with the director led by Joseph Sciorra, Calandra Institute.