Breaking from its usual schedule of indie films made on shoestring budgets by young, aspiring hipsters, The Sundance Channel has picked up “Brick City,” a six-part documentary about the dysfunctional city of Newark, New Jersey.
The series is being exec-produced (and possibly narrated by) Forest Whitaker, and was directed by Marc Levin and Mark Benjamin. It centers on subjects ranging from the city’s Mayor, Cory Booker to gang-members and the problems with the city’s quest to lower crime, increase property values and curb the rampant corruption. Essentially it sounds as though it could be documentary version of HBO’s gritty inner-city drama “The Wire.”
Sundance GM Laura Michal-chyshyn commented on why the series is a good fit for Sundance, “This docu series touches on everything that’s important to Sundance: economics; politics; well-told, compelling stories about social justice; environmental issues; and questions about developers moving in.” The series will premiere on the Sundance Channel beginning in 2009.
