Tribeca Film Festival Premieres Airport BLVD and House of Criticism

At this year's Tribeca Film Festival, two world premieres explored the built environment and art criticism. Alejandro Hendricks' Airport BLVD examines gentrification in Austin, Texas, focusing on the historic Airport Boulevard corridor. The film follows Xavier, a photographer returning from New York City, as he navigates a changing East Austin community. Shot in black and white, it interweaves interviews with Black residents, highlighting a population decline from 40% to 6%. The film incorporates archival materials, including a 1928 city plan that created a 'negro district,' and features locations like the Harlem Theater, which burned down in 1973. Since filming, the Stars Cafe was demolished for Interstate 35 expansion. Alison Chernick's House of Criticism offers an intimate portrait of married art critics Roberta Smith and Jerry Saltz, who married in 1992. Smith was already a critic at The New York Times, while Saltz later rose to prominence at New York Magazine, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2018. The film captures their shared life, visiting galleries and museums, and features appearances by dealers like David Zwirner and artists like Cindy Sherman. Both critics are in their seventies, and the film reflects on the decline of criticism in publications. The film's sponsors include major galleries, and it premiered at the festival with the couple in attendance.