Voice of the People

A documentary, produced by high school students, about the organization Voice of the People, which repairs, owns, and operates cooperative apartment buildings.

00:10Copy video clip URL A montage of Voice of the People staff and volunteers repairing and painting apartments. 

00:49Copy video clip URL The narrator describes VOP and its mission, which includes rehabilitating and operating apartment buildings. 

01:12Copy video clip URL One of the managers of a VOP building describes her job and the ways that she works with and alongside the tenants. She discusses the cooperative nature of living in a VOP building. 

01:57Copy video clip URL Painting. A VOP board member discusses the work that needs to be done to prepare one of their buildings for occupants. 

02:38Copy video clip URL People painting and repairing walls. Brief conversations with some of the workers, including painter Merle Bentley. The uniqueness of VOP.

04:13Copy video clip URL Some distortion. An older woman holding a baby talks about cooperative elements asked of her and other residents in a VOP building. Footage of other residents and workers with no audio. 

05:22Copy video clip URL The elderly woman talks about cooperation within her building. Teenagers not wanting to contribute.

05:56Copy video clip URL Children talk about cleaning the common spaces. Another woman discusses teenagers’ contributions. The difficulties in getting little children to help. Dealing with interpersonal problems between children in the building. 

07:40Copy video clip URL A teen girl talks about attending tenant meetings, which she says are boring. Her younger sibling drinks out of a giant 7-Up bottle. 

08:37Copy video clip URL Two kids talk about the positive aspects of living in the building, including trips and activities and a greater freedom of movement. 

09:13Copy video clip URL Another child talks about the fun they have in the building. Interview gets cut off. 

09:28Copy video clip URL End of video.