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The Ballad of Greenwich Village 2005, 70 mins. 
“The documentary informs as it entertains, as well as answering some long-standing questions. The dedication Kramer showed by filming artists in locales to which they felt connected gives us a “you-are-there” sensation. You will want to see the film more than once as it is packed with what will be to many new information on talented people that we only thought we knew. Kramer mines the creative gems and delivers the motherlode, filling a too-long unaddressed void with verve.”
ARTSCOPE “In her new documentary, THE BALLAD OF GREENWICH VILLAGE – which opened Friday in Manhattan – Karen Kramer tells the story of how one place could nurture so many for so long. The Village’s changing complexion suggests the value of Karen Kramer’s determination to capture the qualities and people that generated its renown.”
NEW YORK NEWSDAY  “This BALLAD is a beautiful song of glory…..a lavish and at times moving evocation of a unique community.”
James Verniere, BOSTON GLOBE “Director Karen Kramer, whose labor of love this clearly is, has assembled some remarkable footage. There are scenes of old haunts like the Caffe Reggio, or the Lion's Head, stills of a stand-up Woody Allen or a guitar-strumming Yul Brynner, surprising news footage of policeman beating up protesting folk singers. (Even more surprising: the folk singers are still wearing ties.) To anyone who ever climbed out of a tunnel or a subway on a Saturday night, the words still kindle magic. And the memories are bittersweet.”
James Whitty STAR LEDGER
“From the opening frames, before the titles, the film got my full attention…like a good book I didn’t want to end, with a thread running through it, connecting all the dots. The politics, the art, the grit and the off beat are there in true form. The uniqueness of each of the talking heads reinforced what we all know; to get to Greenwich Village is a calling. It is a concept that might be priced out of its physical space but will never be out of bounds. Thank you for taking on the challenges and the joys. Thank you for making the film.”
Suze Rotolo, author, A FREEWHEELIN' TIME.
"This is a fresh and vital documentary that is also warm and human and covers a marvelous amount of material that keeps gracefully moving throughout the film."
Bill Sloan, THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
"It's a real valentine to Greenwich Village and the amazing people who lived and came of age there. It's also nice to see a film that appeals to people's intelligence.'
Sky Sitney, NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
"It is a great film, especially after 8 years of the Bush Regime. To see that there is one place, and there has been one place for more than 200 years, where people can breathe easily in Puritan America is fantastic." Steve Fesenmeir, WEST VIRGINIA LIBRARY COMMISSION | |
