Hope College will show the documentary “Land Grab,” about a controversial neighborhood recovery project in Detroit, on Monday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
“Land Grab” addresses themes including law and politics, environmental quality, race, urban poverty and business.
The documentary follows the effort of John Hantz, president and chief executive officer of the Hantz Group, to purchase vacant land in an economically devastated neighborhood in Detroit and turn it into an urban farm to help in the area’s recovery. The independently produced film not only highlights the project, which resulted in a forested park when regulation made the farming idea impractical, but also the reaction of residents and community leaders concerned that the group’s acquisition of the land might ultimately harm rather than help those living there.
Following the screening, Mike Score, president of Hantz Farms and leader of the project, will present remarks. There will also be an opportunity for questions from the audience.
The event is being hosted by the college’s Markets and Morality student organization and Hope Advocates for Sustainability, and is co-sponsored by the Department of Political Science, Department of Economics and Business, Green Hope, Hope College Sustainability Committee and Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute.
The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 E. Eighth St.