Masochism of the Margins (2016)

In 1984, experimental filmmakers looking for a venue to share their work founded Artist Television Access in the gritty Mission District of San Francisco. From the beginning filmmaker Craig Baldwin- long-time bastion of underground and experimental film- has put on a weekly show called Other Cinema, featuring marginalized films. Fast forward 31 years later to 2015, the city is rapidly changing and ATA faces eviction. In Masochism of the Margins, Cyrus Yoshi Tabar documents Craig Baldwin as he faces possible eviction from his home of 31 years and struggles to negotiate with the landlord who insists on a 60% rent increase. The film is an intimate look into the life of a man whose everyday existence is threatened by the forces of gentrification and greed. A portrait of Baldwin during a time of uncertainty, Tabar mixes candid interviews and observational footage, immersing viewers in the historic space of ATA and Craig's basement studio/archive.