Fire Through Dry Grass
is a documentary film about the experience of residents and workers at the
NYC Health & Hospitals Corp
Coler nursing facility
on Roosevelt Island during the Covid pandemic.
You're invited to a
free screening of Fire Through Dry Grass Thursday April 11 at the Tata Innovation Center on the Roosevelt Island
Cornell Tech campus (11 East Loop Road).
Please join us on Thursday, April 11th for the powerful film screening of Fire
Through Dry Grass during National Poetry Month with the Public Advocate Jumaane
D. Williams.
RSVP here now to reserve your FREE ticket and seat before they sell out!
We are bringing together community members, stakeholders, and policy advocates
to view the film and discuss the staffing crisis in NYC long-term care
facilities. The event will consist of a film screening and discussion with the
film team, the Office of the NYC Public Advocate, and the protagonists of the
film, the
Reality Poets. Together we will dive into the themes of the film - disability, immigrant,
worker, and housing justice, as well as health equity - and explore solutions
for a healthcare system that protects, respects and cares for all those living
and working in long-term care, especially Black and brown folks.
Watch the trailer for Fire Through Dry Grass documentary
Register here for your free tickets to the Fire Through Dry Grass screening and conversation Thursday April 11 from 5-8 PM at the Cornell Tech Tata Innovation Center on Roosevelt Island.
Fire Through Dry Grass is a documentary film about the experience of residents and workers at the
NYC Health & Hospitals Corp
Coler nursing facility
on Roosevelt Island during the Covid pandemic.
Fire Through Dry Grass uncovers in real-time the devastation experienced by
residents of a New York City nursing home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Co-Directors Alexis Neophytides and Andres “Jay” Molina take viewers inside
Coler, on Roosevelt Island, where Jay lives with his fellow Reality Poets, a
group of mostly gun violence survivors.
Wearing snapback caps and Air Jordans, Jay and the other Reality Poets don’t
look like typical nursing home residents. They used to travel around the
city sharing their art and hard-earned wisdom with youth. Now, using GoPros
clamped to their wheelchairs, they document their harrowing experiences on
“lock down.” Covid-positive patients are moved into their bedrooms; nurses
fashion PPE out of garbage bags; refrigerated-trailer morgues hum outside
residents’ windows. All the while public officials deny the suffering and
dying behind Coler’s brick walls.
The Reality Poets’ rhymes flow throughout the film, underscoring their
feelings that their home is now as dangerous as the streets they once ran
and—as summer turns to fall turns to winter—that they’re prisoners without a
release date. But instead of history repeating itself on this tiny island
with a dark history of institutional neglect and abandonment, Fire Through
Dry Grass shows these disabled Black and brown artists refusing to be
abused, confined, erased.
... The combination of firsthand footage with poetry makes for an intimate and raw film that gives a real sense of the confinement faced by the residents, some of whom compared the experience to previous jail stints. It’s a powerful reminder of how defining and devastating the pandemic was, and gives space to those whose voices were long ignored....
...is a Reality Poet and the Director of the arts-and-justice initiative OPEN
DOORS, an artist collective who, prior to the pandemic, traveled around the
city sharing their poetry and stories....
Before we officially came together as the Reality Poets, we were a loose group
of wheelchair users who would sit outside the massive brick building at the
tip of Roosevelt Island, smoke and share stories. Many of us were gun violence
survivors and all of us felt there was nothing to do living in the nursing
home. In 2016 a local artist started a project for us called OPEN DOORS, and
from there the Reality Poets were born. Thanks to our vision and leadership
OPEN DOORS is now a dynamic creative collective, educating our youth and
producing artistic collaborations, including a
poetry anthology,
original play
and
hip-hop album.
During the pandemic we were dehumanized and confined inside our nursing
home. Realizing we had the microphone at the center of the storm, we began
advocating for all those living and working in long-term care, particularly
Black and brown nursing home residents who saw twice the amount of COVID
deaths as their white counterparts. In 2020 we launched the Nursing Home
Lives Matter movement and are now warriors with a mission to end racism and
ableism in long-term care.
Last Tuesday, September 19, in front of his family and friends at the Good
Morning America TV studio, Michael Strahan surprised Mr Pierce by announcing that
he was a
2023 Craig H Neilsen (CHN) Visionary Prize
recipient of $1 million.
... launched in 2020 to celebrate influential voices in the world of spinal
cord injury. The Prize was created to honor the legacy of Craig H. Neilsen
and is awarded to individuals who embody the values that were important to
him during his lifetime.
Each prize winner is awarded $1 million, respectively.
Vincent Pierce, based in New York, is a music producer, gun violence
survivor, and community organizer. He is co-director of the arts-and-justice
initiative OPEN DOORS. As an OPEN DOORS Reality Poet, he has traveled around
New York City sharing his story, poetry, and wisdom. As a teen, Vincent
moved to North Carolina, where he studied music and played on multiple
basketball teams. In his twenties, Vincent was shot while being robbed at
gunpoint, leaving him paralyzed.
In 2019, Vincent began writing poetry after he was inspired by a writing
workshop at Open Doors NYC. He started the music program ZING! which, he
says, is “showing kids from neighborhoods like the one I grew up in that
they are bigger than what their environments expect them to be.” Vincent’s
poetry and writings have been published in Wheeling & Healing: A Poetry
Anthology Edited by OPEN DOORS Reality Poets. He’s the recipient of a Center
for Cultural Innovation Grant, which enabled him to start a music program
aimed at keeping youth off the streets and in the studio.
In July 2020, Vincent launched #NursingHomeLivesMatter working for a
healthcare system that protects, respects and cares for all those in
long-term care, and for those who care for us.
I asked Mr Pierce for his thoughts on being a recipient of the David H
Neilsen Visionary Prize. He said:
I would just thank the Nielsen foundation and Good Morning America. I
would just say hard work and dedication pays off.
Roosevelt Island residents Thom Heyer and Julia Ferguson were among the family
and friends who were with Mr Pierce at the Good Morning America Studio.
Mr Heyer reports:
It was rather a surreal day on Good Morning America!
I found out September 8 about GMA wanting to do a feature story on Vince regarding his work at Open Doors, etc.
Friends and family of Vince were asked to RSVP if we could attend and to keep it a secret from Vince.
A financial amount was never mentioned--we all thought it was going to be a public acknowledgement on national television.
I was told about the million dollar check on Monday afternoon when we were asked if we would participate in holding up the numbers to announce the check.
We were asked to show up a half hour earlier than the rest of the people to set up that sequence.
We were also required to keep it a secret.
It truly was a complete surprise!
Julia Ferguson adds:
Vince looked immediately to all his team and friends from the Open Doors
Reality Poets in the moment of receiving this award. He is a very well
deserving recipient of this honor for leadership and community service.
It was an honor to participate and also a complete surprise. I only knew that
he was going to be on a special segment of GMA and that they had asked friends
to join if they could in order to cheer and applaud.
Hope everyone can make it to the NYC premier of Fire Through Dry Grass Sept
29th through Oct. 4th.
Fire Through Dry Grass is a documentary about the experience of residents and workers at Coler during the Covid pandemic. Mr Pierce composed music for the documentary. Here's the trailer for the documentary.
Just a reminder that our next community outreach salon sponsored by
Humanities New York and Open Doors is THIS Saturday 4/15 at 3:30pm at
Cornell Tech. Our next salon is entitled "The Subject is Point of
View". We'll be introducing Jay Molina (a Coler resident) and Alexis Neophytides (born & raised on Roosevelt Island): two filmmakers who
approach their craft from very different points of view.
Let's see where there might be points of commonality!
The Salon is FREE and will be held at Cornell Tech's Bloomberg Center.
The event is in-person but will also be live-streamed.
Fire Through Dry Grass uncovers in real-time the devastation experienced by residents of a New York City nursing home during the coronavirus pandemic. Co-Directors Alexis Neophytides and Andres “Jay” Molina take viewers inside Coler, on Roosevelt Island, where Jay lives with his fellow Reality Poets, a group of mostly gun violence survivors....
... an artist collective of current and former residents of a long-term care
facility on Roosevelt Island in NYC. Guided by the Reality Poets’ lived
experience and vision, our work focuses on disability justice,
community building and gun violence prevention....
... During the pandemic racist, ableist systems dehumanized and confined the
Reality Poets. Realizing that they had the microphone at the center of
the storm, the group began advocating for those living and working in
long-term care, particularly Black and brown nursing home residents who
saw twice the amount of Covid deaths as their white counterparts. The
Reality Poets have launched the Nursing Home Lives Matter movement and are working on a documentary film about their harrowing year on “lockdown” fighting for their lives and their freedoms....
The Nursing Home Lives Matter movement began on Roosevelt Island during the Covid Pandemic. Remember?
Powerful a nursing Home Lives Matter Message Projected on wall of Roosevelt Island Coler Nursing Facility last night at end of vigil remembering those who died and in support of those still in lockdown during Covid 19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/95xPgWNhKT
... a network of neighbors, friends and family who care deeply about the people who live and work in Coler Rehabilitation & Nursing Care Center and who support connections between the Roosevelt Island community and Coler residents/staff.
Image From Friends Of Coler You Tube Video Screenshot
Friends Of Coler volunteers Julia Ferguson and Nicole Izsak report:
Dear friends in support of Coler,
Happy February 2022! Roosevelt Island children's groups spread lots of kindness this month! Youth of all ages created over 200 beautiful handmade Valentines cards that were given to Coler Recreational Therapy for 2/14 distribution on Sunday afternoon 2/13 while also visiting a few friends.
Roosevelt Island Youth Center cards were filled with full page drawings as well as wishes for both residents and staff. RI Girl Scout Troops made creative pop-up cards with handwritten messages of hope and the "Daisy" troop made special hearts that became a banner. Island Kids cheered everyone with hand signed and decorated posters, and Roosevelt Island Navigators brought in beautiful cards as well.
Save the date for March 10th 7:00 p.m. when Angelica Patient Assistance Program will present a zoom to talk about resuming programming and volunteer opportunities at Coler moving forward in 2022.
Pre-pandemic traditions at Coler included a Sweetheart Ball sponsored by Angelica Patient Assistance Program. With the Omicron variant still present and group gatherings still restricted in January/February this year, Angelica found a work around with Coler Recreational Therapy! They distribute Popeye's meals and Valentine's treats this year on Monday February 14th. One resident mentioned that the combination of the Super Bowl and the Valentine's event made for a very good February weekend! Coler residents and staff have also welcomed a new CEO this month: Stephen Catullo, MBA.
May more good news continue for all,
Ms Ferguson adds:
The work that RI Youth Center children and staff, Island Kids children and staff, RI Girl Scout troops and leaders, and RI Navigators put in was careful and so heartwarming. It is so in line with the kindness and generosity that does exist in our community. And we even had a small troop of Girl Scouts from Staten Island who heard and sent in greetings!
I asked Friends of Coler:
How have the Coler folks been doing recently with COVID issues? Any problems?
Coler resident Peter Yearwood says:
We are doing pretty good at Coler. No major issues to report. There was an outbreak of Omnicron but we are over that and all is well.
The Open Doors Poets have teamed with documentary filmmaker Alexis Neophytidis to show what it was like at the Coler facility during the early days of the Coronavirus pandemic. Take a look at the trailer for their upcoming documentary, Fire Through Dry Grass to see for yourself.
The Friends Of Coler are a group of Roosevelt Island residents organizing to help the patients and staff of NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (HHC) Coler Facility during the Coronavirus pandemic
... we are constituting a community-based Coler Task Force under the
auspices of Community Board 8, chaired by Alida Camp, CB8’s Chair and a
professional mediator to be called upon when necessary. The Task Force
will be composed of Coler residents and families, local stakeholders and
elected officials. The Task Force will identify issues of concern and
obtain timely responses from Health + Hospitals senior management,
facilitate tours of Coler for members of the committee and elected
officials, and ensure healthcare workers or residents who speak out are
shielded from any retribution...
COVID has dissipated at Coler as it has all over NYC and the Roosevelt Island Medical Center established within Coler has gone, but when individual cases arise due to staff Covid infections, then lockdown of patients ensues.
Recent reports from Coler Rehab Nursing Care Center indicate we need to be very concerned for a pattern of actions that severely limit patient movement and keep them away from family and friends and advocates. As we all know from recent months, mental health and physical health are closely intertwined.
The Friends Of Coler invite you to learn more about what really happened at the Roosevelt Island Coler nursing facility during the early stages this year of the Coronavirus Pandemic at a Virtual Sneak Preview and Conversation on Wednesday October 21 of a new documentary currently in the works - Fire Through Dry Grass.
This Wednesday evening, October 21, the Roosevelt Island NYPL branch and Friends of Coler are
co-hosting a storytelling/fundraising event to support a forthcoming
documentary about life inside Coler during the pandemic.
Please join the Open Doors Reality Poets alongside filmmakers Andres "Jay" Molina (a Coler resdient) and Alexis Neophytides for the trailer release of their forthcoming documentary, FIRE THROUGH DRY GRASS, and a conversation about #ownvoices pandemic storytelling.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately affect people of color, poor people, currently and formerly incarcerated Americans, and nursing home residents, Molina and Neophytides will discuss the critical impact of documenting from the inside and uplifting narratives from the communities most at risk.
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
