I have two options for my Lehigh Valley Documentary. One would be as I mentioned in a previous post, regarding the mindfulness and meditation research and work I will be doing with the Gracedale senior citizens. Many of them have cognitive impairments, so it would be interesting to use documentary as a way of tracking the positive benefits of yoga and meditation. However, I understand that because several residents have cognitive deficits, it may be difficult to gain consent or filming privileges therefore I am also looking into doing a documentary based on the gentrification of Easton and how this affects the community as a whole.
I know that there are a lot of negative feelings towards Lafayette’s expansion (http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2017/09/easton_planners_reject_lafayet.html#incart_river_index) and I want to be able to examine the opinion of both Lafayette growth and other “gentricated” ideas that Easton has in the works. I first noticed the gentrification of Easton after the Easton Indoor Public Market was opened up. Easton is a food desert, so at first I thought having an indoor market would make healthy and fresh food easily accessible to residents, however this is not the case at all because everything is so EXPENSIVE. More and more pricey bars and restaurants have emerged since the 2014 when I first started college and I would love to interview local residents to see how they feel about this change.
Title: Easton- To Infinity and Beyond
Longline: A documentary examining the various opinions regarding the growth of new restaurants, venues, and attractions in Easton as well as the expansion of Lafayette College into the surrounding community.