Falls doc Motel to be viewed with interest
I read with concern an article in the April 20 edition of The Niagara Falls Review regarding an independent documentary film titled Motel that focused on the woes of low-income individuals living in Niagara Falls and in particular those residing at The Continental Inn at 5756 Ferry St.
I lived on the property for 2½ years, from June 2014 to January 2017, and while it is beyond the scope of a simple letter to the editor to relate in fine detail the shortcomings of The Continental Inn there were certain aspects of the article which startled me.
After viewing the trailer for the film it became evident to me that Motel was going to be very subjective in nature painting the Continental Inn as a light at the end of the tunnel for these less fortunate individuals. Astonishingly, the managers will insist that they are benevolent and are acting with good Christian ideals to the point of identifying themselves as a bona fide ministry. The building itself was in constant disrepair, there were ongoing problems with insect infestations (most notably bed bugs) as well as a plethora of illegal activity. Despite my frequent voicings regarding these issues they were always dismissed or explained away in some absurd manner. On the rare occasions that management were even available oftentimes their response was less than cordial. Perhaps I was one of those “bad eggs” referred to in the article.
The maker of the film, Jesse McCracken, states that he started talking to the people running The Continental Inn while doing research for the film and I did see cameras on the property accompanied by management. Whenever I questioned the presence of the cameras I was given the brush off only to be told that they were just shooting a film (which was more than obvious). After reading the article it became evident to me that they had been showing Mr. McCracken only what they wanted him to see, blocking out many of the more relevant concerns which could have been addressed in his film. I fear that the film will fail in many areas neglecting some hard facts and presenting a very misleading perspective of a crisis in Niagara Falls that will remain a point of issue until it is dealt with realistically. Personally, I look forward to viewing Mr. McCracken’s film, which premieres at the Scotiabank Theatre 4 in Toronto at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday as part of the Canadian International Documentary Film Festival with a sound judicial mind. Ian Gledhill Fort Erie