Educational Media Reviews Online

A smart, but one-sided, documentary examining San Francisco Bay area gentrification, Boom: The Sound of Eviction captures the frustration of urban residents left behind by a growing economy. Set in San Francisco’s Mission District and nearby Oakland, the film focuses on the plight of the local tenants in the 1990s “dot com” boom. Increasing the incomes of technology leaders and innovators, the boom led them to desire real estate in San Francisco, where 35% of venture capital was being invested. Unfortunately for the current residents, landlords saw the potential and began evicting their low-income population in favor of renovating properties for commercial space and high-cost residential units. Even more unfortunately, the profiled projects all collapsed in the wake of the ensuing dot com bust and almost all the properties remain vacant (at least as of 2001, when the film was completed). The processes of urban renewal (zoning, planning, etc.) are clearly shown to be faster than those of politics, much to the frustration of residents fearing displacement since elected officials are in charge of zoning and planning.

The segments flow together fairly well, but without a narrator, the points being made are left to the viewer to discern. In the end, it promotes a set of questions that remain unanswered. Is housing a right? What rights do lessees have compared with landlords? Do the outcomes of gentrification justify the sacrifices of the poor? If homelessness is discouraged, why do lease laws favor the property owners [note: landlords in Oakland can issue 30-day no-cause eviction notices]? If urban gentrification displaces residents for an “improved” neighborhood, is it the right thing to do? Less obviously, why does economic progress leave some people behind, and what can we do about it?

Seemingly shot on digital video with a lot of handheld work to accommodate the rallies, protests, and meetings attended, the film suffers from its amateur appearance—focus problems were noticed throughout. While it makes effective use of contemporary as well as archival footage, the film feels a bit disjointed at times. The DVD offers a few bonus items. In addition to optional Spanish subtitles, there are five short clips of additional footage from the film’s interviews and the theatrical trailer (oddly, one scene in the film was somehow corrupted, but appears fine in the trailer). Two lists of resource organizations, one national and one for the San Francisco area, give addresses and telephones to aid tenants, and if using a networked computer, a link to the Boom! The Movie web page is available, where the “Background, Resources, and Links” page provides an excellent collection of information.