We’d like you to meet the UNDO LEAN-TO.

Outfitted primarily to host our Labs and Workshops safely, it’s now ready to open up to our community for a few nights of provocations, provisions, and conversation.

After a long, necessary pause and with the encouragement of hundreds of you who responded favorably to our community survey, we are starting up programming with a limited series of fundraising events. We are hoping to bring our community together to study and examine our shared world experience through documentary art. We invite you here to watch provocative work, hash out the problems on our minds, and make space for the self-reflection and radical communication that we know we need to encourage rigorous compassion, understanding and the pursuit of a just society.

Support through direct donation, come out to our intimate programs rolling out over the next few weeks, or rent the space to gather with colleagues, friends or family!

So Why LEAN-TO?

If you didn’t know, a lean-to is a pitched roof supported by an existing structure. This is just that.
The simple idea was born out of a need to find a bit of shelter to keep our community active and gathering safely outside, while also being connected to participants joining from around the world.

So far, the LEAN-TO has played host to two iterations of our Summer Documentary Lab. Artists came together with mentors to incubate early features, watch inspiring work together, learn from experts and established filmmakers, and survey the documentary field broadly. It also worked perfectly for our first outdoor screening event, a preview of films from the Collaborative Studio that was simultaneously broadcasted online. We are excited to see what else this space can do!

They say we all need to lean on each other sometimes. Your support over the next few weeks will help us to be here for you in the long run.

Some features we’re excited to share…

It’s wired-up!!

We have lights, power, high speed wifi, a custom audio set-up, and full screening and classroom capabilities! Amazing for beaming in remote participants with folks on location.

It’s fired-up!

Two grills, a pizza oven, running water and a stovetop burner means we can provide fresh snacks at outdoor programs to keep things festive.

It’s a studio!

Diffused light for video and photo shoots, editing meetings, outdoor podcast production, or work-in-progress screenings.

It’s cozy!

Exposure to elements is tough on bodies and tech. The Lean-To will keep you dry, shaded and cozy, while still allowing for lots of airflow with overhead fans.

It’s green!

We’ve been working on our gardening game, and designed the Lean-To to integrate trees we planted 10 years ago and have had our greenest thumbs making moves a bit to spruce up our plant life.

How it works

Your contribution will go towards keeping UnionDocs programs up and running and help us bring these small socially-distanced outdoor events to the neighborhood during the pandemic.

Pick a specific event as they are announced, or get a voucher to use at any programs listed on our site. We have started posting events on our website, more will be added every week.

Purchase tickets in units of two and bring your quarantine buddy! If you have a bigger pod you’d like to sit together with, just donate accordingly and email us. We can get you set up.

The night of, we’ll get you set up at a table distanced from the other small groups in attendance.
We’ve partnered with the awesome new social enterprise, 1:1 Foods, who have planned delicious and fun dishes from the grill to round out your night, and we’ll offer a complimentary round of drinks.

Like other UNDO events, we’ll invite you to join a lively, yet lowkey conversation after the program. Programs will take place Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings for as long as weather permits.

Wait, I’m new…what’s UNDO?

UnionDocs (UNDO) is a non-profit Center for Documentary Art that presents, produces, publishes, and educates. It is no mistake that our name abbreviates to UNDO. We promote makers and stories from the margins, under-represented facts, and interdependent networks.

This is urgent work in 2020. We need to not only communicate the important issues of our time more effectively than ever before but also we must explore languages of cinema to represent our diversity, strengthen community, and generate hope and empathy. Every year, UnionDocs brings together a diverse community of 250,000 aspiring and accomplished artists, filmmakers, performers, public radio-lovers, academics, and activists on a search for urgent expressions of the human experience, practical perspectives on the world today, and compelling visions for the future. In a normal year we present over 100 public events; produce powerful works through our three UnionDocs Labs and the highly-acclaimed performance Say Something Bunny!; and educate through our bi-weekly Professional Development Workshops and World Records Journal, the first peer-reviewed journal focusing on documentary art. Our programs are run with the belief that documentary art, when paired with thoughtful context and open debate, is an invaluable tool for understanding the complexities of contemporary life and creating a more compassionate, engaged, and integrated society. Kent Jones, while at the New York Film Festival noted that UnionDocs plays an essential role in the landscape of documentary and that although “there are many, many documentary organizations and collectives, film festivals and initiatives…there are only a precious few that fulfill their missions so steadfastly, and fewer still whose missions are based on such a clear understanding of documentary filmmaking.” Be a part of the movement to support compelling and urgent storytelling and support UnionDocs today!

Partners

We are hoping to invite other local organizations who are interested to utilize this space as collaborators too. Your support will help to make this happen! If you have ideas, get in touch!

We are so excited about our partner for this series 1:1 Foods. This group of creative and talented folks are teaming up with us to serve some amazing savory dishes at this upcoming outdoor fundraising series. Plus stay tuned for some really cool programming serving the NYC food community too.

1:1 Foods is a Brooklyn-based social enterprise serving food insecure families and supporting local food businesses in Brooklyn. 1:1 Foods collaborates with local restaurants to develop and sell delicious meal kits that empower local businesses to reach more customers and drive additional revenue. Every sale also directly supports 1:1 Foods’ mission-driven work delivering prepared meals and grocery packages to Brooklyn neighbors in need. Learn more and order at www.1to1foods.com! One for you, one from Brooklyn.