Public Money

POV Shorts Season 1
  • Short Film
  • 2018
  • 14 Mins

Across New York City, a bold experiment in participatory democracy is underway. Since 2012, the city council has steadily increased investment in a process called “participatory budgeting”, wherein community members gain a role in deciding how to spend part of a public budget.

Following the process over one year in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park—a multicultural neighborhood undergoing gentrification—this quietly observed, verité documentary asks what happens when community members come together to discuss and decide what development should look like in their neighborhood.

POV believes in the power of film to engage communities in dialogue around the most pressing social issues of our time. Use one of the film's accompanying resources to learn about the issues and get involved. Visit the POV Community Network to browse films available for screenings.

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Lesson Plan

  • Grades 9-10,
  • Grades 11-12

Student Engagement through Participatory Budgeting

Film Credits

  • Jay Arthur Sterrenberg DirectorJay_ME.jpg
  • Zara Serabian-Arthur ProducerZara_ME.JPG
  • Raj Kottamasu ProducerRaj_ME.jpg