- written by Laura Snoad
“You have to see people through the eyes of someone who loves them,” said the late photographer Harold Feinstein about the secret to his work back in 1989.
Born in 1931 in Coney Island, Harold was a pioneer of street photography long before it was even a thing, and documented the everyday joys and sorrows of New York City’s inhabitants – from sun-worshiping youths to menacing gangsters to destitute street kids – with dignity, charisma and empathy. His work is unparalleled in its historical insight into an era where marginalised people were rarely thought worthy of a portrait. His giant personality and powerful work is the subject of a new feature documentary made by our very own film director Andy Dunn. We couldn’t be prouder.
Getting its UK premiere on 15 May, Last Stop Coney Island: The Life and Photography of Harold Feinstein is an energetic and deeply touching voyage through Harold’s life, from his work capturing 1940s and 1950s New York to his immaculate flower studies in later life, all told through the eyes of the people who knew him best. Harold got close to people – quite literally when you see him crawling under the legs of Coney Island’s teens while they’re playing in the sand or catching an accidental smooch between a couple and their dog, called ‘Puppy Love’ – and the whole film radiates with the energy of a man who sought the best in people and encouraged their joy de vivre.
Buy tickets for screening on 19 May at DocHouse – bring tissues, it’s a weepy one. For more on Andy Dunn, our in-house film director, check out his interview.