Staten Island Catapult
Encyclopedia
The Staten Island Catapult is a 2005 documentary about a disgruntled commuter
and his proposal to build a catapult
that launches individuals from Staten Island
to Downtown Manhattan
in 5 minutes. The film was written and directed by independent filmmaker Gregorio Smith
.
The film won a Verrazzano Award for Best Documentary Short at the inaugural Staten Island Film Festival (2006).
borough is a trove of history and culture that remains largely untapped due to a lack of mass transit alternatives.
To that end, Dom proposes a “seminal transit alternative” for the Staten Island community. Under the rallying cry “Where mass transit has failed…physics shall prevail!”, Dom spearheads an initiative to build a large-scale catapult that launches commuters back and forth from Staten Island to downtown Manhattan in 5 minutes.
Although his vision is initially met with bemusement and doubt, Dom soldiers on and eventually develops a prototype.
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
and his proposal to build a catapult
Catapult
A catapult is a device used to throw or hurl a projectile a great distance without the aid of explosive devices—particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. Although the catapult has been used since ancient times, it has proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms during...
that launches individuals from Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
to Downtown Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in 5 minutes. The film was written and directed by independent filmmaker Gregorio Smith
Gregorio Smith
Gregorio Smith is an independent filmmaker and writer. His writing career began with a two-year stint as the News Editor for WBMB Baruch College Radio...
.
The film won a Verrazzano Award for Best Documentary Short at the inaugural Staten Island Film Festival (2006).
Plot summary
Dom Giotti, founder of the Staten Island Catapult Development Committee (S.I.C.D.C.) maintains that the commuting needs of Staten Islanders have long been underserved by a cost-prohibitive dichotomy of bridge or boat. In his opinion the outermost New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
borough is a trove of history and culture that remains largely untapped due to a lack of mass transit alternatives.
To that end, Dom proposes a “seminal transit alternative” for the Staten Island community. Under the rallying cry “Where mass transit has failed…physics shall prevail!”, Dom spearheads an initiative to build a large-scale catapult that launches commuters back and forth from Staten Island to downtown Manhattan in 5 minutes.
Although his vision is initially met with bemusement and doubt, Dom soldiers on and eventually develops a prototype.
Bootleg This Movie
Bootleg This Movie is a 2007 documentary short written and directed by Gregorio Smith. This unofficial sequel explores the worlds of both video piracy and self-publishing, as the director creates a bootleg or pirated DVD of Staten Island Catapult and hires an actress to sell it on the streets of New York City.External links
- Official Website No longer active
- The Staten Island Catapult at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...