A documentary about New York on the brink in 1975

NYC, 1975: the greatest, grittiest city on Earth is minutes away from bankruptcy when an unlikely alliance of rookies, rivals, fixers and flexers finds common ground - and a way out. 

Drop Dead City film poster with cartoon-like images of NY's leaders in 1975
“An extraordinary historical documentary.”
— Richard Brody, The New Yorker
“Drop Dead City charts how those pivotal months of 1975 unfolded like a thriller.”
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“Drop Dead City succeeds superbly.”
— Chris Barsanti, Pop Matters
“Wonkish but gripping!”
— Owen Gleiberman, Variety

HELD FOR A 4TH WEEK AT IFC

〰️

2023 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LAVINE/KEN BURNS AWARD WINNER

〰️

HELD FOR A 4TH WEEK AT IFC 〰️ 2023 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LAVINE/KEN BURNS AWARD WINNER 〰️

Upcoming Film Screenings

  • April 25 - May 22, 2025

    IFC CENTER
    323 6th Avenue
    New York, NY

    Check IFC calendar for special events and Q and A

  • May 9 - 22, 2025

    THE CLAIRIDGE
    486 Bloomfield Ave,
    Montclair, NJ 07042

  • May 13 - 22, 2025

    JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER THEATER
    364 Manville Rd.
    Pleasantville, NY 10570

  • May 16 - 22, 2025

    CINEMA ARTS CENTRE
    423 Park Avenue
    Huntington NY 11743

VIEW ALL
A group of people outside near a barricade, including a cameraman and several men in suits. Police officers in helmets are seen in the background.
Police protest, laid off cop holding System Sucketh sign, Brooklyn Bridge, NYC July 1, 1975 credit ABC VideoSource SMALL.jpg
NYC, trash strewn street, 1975 credit ABC News VideoSource.png
Protestors holding signs and American flags in front of skyscrapers, possibly the Twin Towers.
A group of people, some shirtless, gathered outdoors under a blue sky, with one person holding an American flag. They appear to be enthusiastically clapping and cheering. The Brooklyn Bridge is visible in the background.
Group of men in casual clothing interacting outdoors with city buildings in the background.
Garbage truck with "on strike" sign in front of piled trash bags and people standing nearby on a city street.
Protesters holding signs on a sidewalk, advocating for better school conditions. Signs read "Schools will not be Sweat shops" and "45 Kids per class is no class." They are associated with UFT NYSUT AFT AFL/CIO. People are wearing casual clothing.
NYC sanitation men on strike, July 1, 1975 credit ABC News VideoSource SMALL.jpg
NYC Sanitation men's strike signs, NYC, July 1, 1975 credit ABC VideoSource SMALL.jpg

Recent Reviews & Press

Featured
“Drop Dead City” Spotlights a Lost Era of Liberal Government
Reviews
“Drop Dead City” Spotlights a Lost Era of Liberal Government
Reviews

The New Yorker: The delight of “Drop Dead City” is that it’s a symphony of voices, past and present. The film’s interviews mesh, even rhyme, with archival clips documenting events as they unfolded, participants discussing their activities in the moment, and news reports that aired at the time. 

Reviews
‘Drop Dead City’ Review: A Gripping Look at How New York City Almost Went Bankrupt in 1975, Foreshadowing the Current Moment
Reviews
‘Drop Dead City’ Review: A Gripping Look at How New York City Almost Went Bankrupt in 1975, Foreshadowing the Current Moment
Reviews

Variety: “Drop Dead City” falls into a category of documentary I think of as wonkish but gripping. Produced and directed by Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn, the film is about the financial cataclysm that hit New York City in 1975, when the powers that be figured out that the city was $6 billion in debt.

Reviews
When New York Was ‘Drop Dead City
Reviews
When New York Was ‘Drop Dead City
Reviews

NY Times: A documentary about the city’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s, co-directed by the son of one of its saviors, wins the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film.

Reviews