Film Analysis: City Of Trees

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In the film City of Trees, the nonprofit institution Washington Parks and People serves to help Washington D.C. neighborhoods by improving parks. Armed with a large grant they set up the D.C. Green Corps, a program to offer paid training for residents of the community to plant trees at Oxon Run Park. Upon completion, trainees hope to be able to use their newfound skills to find gainful employment. While the intention is to uplift residents while revitalizing parks, Washington Parks and People holds true to its name when it puts the parks before the people. Throughout the film, Washington Parks and People’s relationship with community is one of opportunity, conflict and redemption. The film starts off with depictions of opportunity when Washington Parks and People begins the selection process for their new program. Members of the local community are …show more content…

Community members that pass by criticize the program’s efforts, threats are made and the situation begins to escalate and the local park committee steps in to put a halt to the program. Though Washington Parks and People’s goal is to help the local community, the director openly admits to have not attended any community meetings. As such, there has been no local approval to the actions taking place in Oxon Run Park. This is a failure on Washington Parks and People part as they had a responsibility to communicate with the community at large. Instead, they ran their program like a military mission, hiring local guerillas to get in and get out. The community is left with little knowledge of what transpires and are left feeling abused. The higher ups at Washington Parks and People do not understand this sentiment and see the opposition by the community as a slap in the face. The declaration to halt by the local park committee serves as a final wake up call and Washington Parks and People is forced to reevaluate their position in the

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