OPENING SOON // The Bronx Documentary Center brings Film, Photo and Community Involvement to the Borough

The Bronx Documentary Center at Courtlandt Ave. and 151st St.

Next month, a fantastic new gallery and educational space will launch in the Bronx--though even before officially openings its doors, it's already been making an impact in the community.

Since early summer, the Bronx Documentary Center has been hosting screenings and lectures in its garden patio, presenting films like the Oscar-winning Born into Brothels and speakers such as war photographer João Silva. In October it will celebrate its grand opening with an exhibition featuring the work of the late Tim Hetherington, who co-directed the amazing 2010 documentary Restrepo and was killed this April while covering the front lines in Libya.

We spoke with award-winning New York Times photojournalist and Bronx Documentary Center's founder, Michael Kamber to find out more. Read on after the jump.

The Hetherington exhibition is a natural first step for the center, as the space was a vision that he and Kamber shared. "Tim was involved in the early planning for the BDC before he was killed," Kamber says. "His death really solidified our resolve to create a documentary studies center in his memory. Since his death, we will be the first venue in the world to devote a solo show to his photo, film and multimedia work.  We are particularly excited about getting his work out to young audiences."

"Tim was, in my opinion, the greatest documentarian of our generation," Kamber continues. "He was also my closest friend—we worked and lived together for many years. Tim gave workshops throughout Africa and the Middle East and was deeply committed to spreading documentary photography and film into areas such as the Bronx."

The idea for the center had been brewing for some time, Kamber tells us. "I'd been thinking for years about starting a gallery and educational organization in a neighborhood where one doesn't usually see this kind of space," he says. "I've always been frustrated that a lot of journalism and documentary work is created in underserved areas, then taken out for consumption elsewhere. We want to change this equation."

"There is not a single gallery devoted to photography and film in the Bronx, a borough of nearly 2 million people.  We are very much focused on working closely with our community, in becoming a place the community comes to for stimulation, culture and education."

Kamber envisions the center as an integral part of its surrounding community, a role its already begun to fill with this summer's events. "Many neighbors have told us that there is the need for a community center like the BDC, focused on the types of cultural and educational events we have planned," Kamber says.

Stay tuned to the Bronx Documentary Center's website and Facebook page for more updates and the exact date of its opening exhibition. If you're interested in helping out, you can donate or get in touch about becoming a volunteer or intern.

-- John Ruscher