Summary
- Marc Singer embedded himself with NYC tunnel-dwellers to create
Dark Days
, capturing their resilience and struggles on film. - The documentary showcases the lives of unhoused individuals living in Manhattan tunnels, challenging stereotypes and highlighting their humanity.
- Dark Days
features innovative cinematography and a fitting soundtrack, shedding light on the issue of homelessness and its enduring relevance.
As a fan, I am in awe of Marc Singer’s dedication and courage to create the groundbreaking documentary “Dark Days.” His life experience of growing up in different parts of the world and eventually moving to New York City with a curiosity for the lives of Manhattan’s homeless population led him to form deep connections within this community. By immersing himself in their world, he was able to capture raw and authentic footage that shines a light on the struggles and resilience of these individuals.
Marc Singer harbored a desire for something significant in his life. Raised in London, England, and later completing his high school education in Florida, Singer subsequently relocated to New York City with aspirations of modeling. Intrigued by the lives of Manhattan’s homeless population, he began forging friendships within this community, residing among them inside makeshift shelters they had constructed beneath Amtrak tunnels in the borough of Manhattan. After approximately four months of nurturing these relationships, Singer decided to capture their stories through a documentary film titled “Dark Days.”
Without any formal film education and facing challenges in filming in an inconvenient setting, Singer relied on his movie’s subjects to assist him in production. Navigating dark environments via access stairways and rickety ladders, Singer received valuable assistance from his new acquaintances in securing power for lighting and capturing sound. Despite lacking formal filmmaking experience, Singer boasted an essential skill for a documentary maker: the capacity to connect deeply with his subjects and establish trust that enabled them to share their remarkable life experiences openly.
The Story of the Underground in Dark Days
The homeless population living in New York City’s subterranean spaces was nothing unfamiliar. For decades, these marginalized individuals had made their homes in New York City’s subway and Amtrak tunnels. Urban myths swirled around their existence, and they were often derisively labeled as ‘Mole People.’ However, the film reveals early on that most of them sought refuge in the tunnels to escape the danger and harsh weather conditions above. It soon becomes clear that these people were not necessarily addicts or criminals but rather unfortunate souls who had slipped through the financial safety net of a rapidly gentrifying urban landscape.
In a group of the long-term residents of the Amtrak tunnels living without homes, the filmmaker focused his camera. Some of these people had made their dwellings there for years, sharing resources like electricity and creating makeshift barber shops and music rooms using buckets as toilets and surviving alongside vermin. They strove to preserve their dignity in challenging circumstances. However, during the shooting of the documentary, city workers served them with 30-day eviction notices upon their return from scavenging for food and money in the streets above. The eviction notices unexpectedly introduced a clear adversary into the narrative.
Dark Days Is a Very Well Made Documentary
Part of the brilliance of Dark Days is the cinematography, shot on grainy, beautiful black-and-white film. At one point during filming, Singer made a breakthrough. He fashioned an old manual rail cart as a camera dolly mounted right onto the tracks, which allowed for incredible shots as the camera moved sideways through the tunnels, illuminating the ramshackle encampments and oil drum fires piercing through the darkness. Set to these amazing moving images is a ’90s Hip-Hop soundtrack by the orchestrally-minded DJ Shadow, who used piano-based samples and record-scratching to compose a score that perfectly fits the film’s dark backdrop.
Although often overshadowed by other documentaries when it comes to recognition among great American films, “Dark Days” remains remarkably significant in its continuing relevance to contemporary American life. Two decades following its premiere, the COVID-19 crisis has caused a startling 12% surge in homelessness across major U.S. cities. As a result of the pandemic-induced economic shutdown, countless individuals living hand-to-mouth have been forced into makeshift shelters and tent communities.
I’ve noticed an alarming trend in cities such as Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. Unhoused citizens have been forced to seek shelter under freeway underpasses and into Skid Row communities due to the rampant fentanyl and amphetamine epidemics. New York City, a place I hold dear, has also been hit hard by this crisis. The streets of this great metropolis are filled with more and more individuals and families who have nowhere else to go, as affordable housing becomes increasingly scarce and resources for the homeless dwindle.
In the year 2000, Dark Days made its debut. This groundbreaking documentary garnered an impressive haul of accolades at that year’s Sundance Film Festival: the Audience Award in the Documentary category, the Excellence in Cinematography Award for Documentaries, and the Freedom of Expression Award. Despite not pursuing a prominent filmmaking career out of desire but necessity, Marc Singer provided a platform for his friends to share their plight. However, Dark Days offered only a fortunate resolution for a select few of these acquaintances who lived in those underground tunnels – they were the exceptions rather than the rule.
Ten years after its initial release, I, a devoted fan, am thrilled to share that Oscilloscope Laboratories gave “Dark Days” a new lease on life with an expanded distribution. The visionary behind this company, Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys fame, acknowledged the film’s significance. During the documentary’s 10th anniversary interview in 2011, director Marc Singer expressed his fearlessness towards the unknown: “I’m not really afraid of the unknown. The worst that could happen is death, and if you’re not afraid of that, then there’s not much holding you back.” This courageous attitude led to one of the most overlooked documentaries from the 2000s – a must-see masterpiece deserving more acclaim today. Experience “Dark Days” on Peacock.
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2024-07-14 21:31