Managed Retreat

 

Managed Retreat

A documentary film
Produced and Directed by Nathan Kensinger
Color, 18 minutes, 2018
www.managedretreatfilm.com

Managed Retreat is a short documentary portrait of three New York City neighborhoods that, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, were purchased by the NY State government, to be demolished and returned to nature as part of the city’s first ‘managed retreat’ from rising sea levels. This observational documentary follows the process of retreat over the course of five seasons, as homes are destroyed and wild animals begin to return.

Managed Retreat premiered in 2018 at Rooftop Films, and has screened at film festivals, exhibits, and museums worldwide, including the Staten Island Museum, National Lighthouse Museum, and ACMI – Australia’s national film museum. The film was produced with the assistance of two grants from Rooftop Films.

 












  • All images © Nathan Kensinger 2023