Abelson and El Cerrito in bus-ride documentary
City Councilwoman Janet Abelson and the city of El Cerrito make appearances
in the film "Tango 73: A Bus Rider's Diary."
The filmmaker provides the following description:
Upon arriving in the San Francisco Bay Area from Costa Rica, and having
failed to master the quintessential American skill of driving a car, the
filmmaker manages as she always has: on the bus. "Tango 73: A Bus
Rider's Diary" reveals an underfinanced bus system stricken by recent
service cuts, and the people who depend on it.
Traveling on board AC Transit's bus line 73 from Richmond to Oakland,
a feisty nanny, a wheelchair-dependent activist (Abelson), a Mexican grandmother
and a politically incorrect bus driver reveal their love-hate relationships
with the bus. This half-hour, humorous first-person documentary lets viewers
into a world hidden in plain view, where people's lives are shaped by
the bus schedule and the elements.
Abelson said she first learned the film had been shown on TV when a woman
approached her in a restaurant in Emeryville and said, "You're the one."
" I've seen the film, and loved it," reports Lori Dair, who
like Abelson is a member of Sustainable El Cerrito. "It's a must-see
for bus riders -- and the El Cerrito scenery whizzing by will fill you
with civic pride. Two thumbs up."
Run dates: 1999-10-01 - 1999-11-30 |
