A City in the Forest

Preceded by “They Put Us in the Woods”

ERIC SAYS A City in the Forest takes place in Atlanta, but it could just as easily be about Baltimore—or most any American city. The story at its core is certainly woefully familiar: big money, deep-pocketed lobbies, and certain bought politicians want to build the police an expensive new toy—in this case, a Cop City playground. That playground can only be built at great taxpayer cost, and would require the destruction of considerable urban forests. Need we add that the project is deeply unpopular with the people of Atlanta?

A City in the Forest gives us a viewing experience at turns thrilling, maddening, and motivating as it depicts activists working both within and without the system—and the sometimes-lethal roadblocks powerful entities put in their path. Anyone who’s followed nationwide issues like the militarization of the police and the wanton proliferation of data centers will find much to relate to—and learn from—within. And if you come to New/Next targeting incisive and meticulously constructed documentaries with a radical political perspective like Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat or W/T/O/99, you should build your New/Next ’26 schedule around A City in the Forest.