From December 1989 until November 1993 filmmaker Dree Andrea portrayed six people living in a deserted Amtrak tunnel underneath Riverside Park in New York. The film tells the Story of the tunnel and its residents Bernard, Bobby, David, Willie, Sheila and John who all had different reasons to spend a period of their lives there (1-16 years). We get to know the hardship of daily life in the tunnel, the moments of happiness and camaraderie amongst the residents during the time spent around their grill and the struggle to get out and start a new life ‘up top’.
In 1991 Amtrak decided to start using the tunnel again. For some of thc residents the roaring trains were a reason to leave, others didn’t feel the need to move.
With trains running regularly Amtrak, afraid of accidents and lawsuits, decided to close the gates in 1993. Bernard, who calls himself ’the lord of the tunnel’, reminded them of their statement made on CNN. As Amtrak had indeed promised not to chase any of the residents out, Bernard was given his personal key and reluctantly accepted the job as ‘doorman’. Some of the former residents returned to the tunnel whilst others now live in apartments in New York.
–Dree Andrea

DirectorDree AndreaProd. CoDree Andrea produktiesYear1994AwardsIn Competition at Film de Femmes, Creteil, France
Winner Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival
Winner Silver Award World Festival Houston
Certificate of Creative Excellence USA International Film Festival
Winner Prize of the City of Utrecht, Nederlands Film Festival 1994Servicesediting (16mm) & sound mixing