The Vend Diagram

Growing up in New York City, you develop a keen ability to take the things around you for granted. Our documentaries start at this point. From whom have we been buying hot dogs, pretzels, wool hats, earphones, tee-shirts and counterfeit handbags all our life? Well, maybe not so much the counterfeit handbags. The answer to that question and subject of our movie are the many street vendors that ply their wares on 125th, 34th, 14th, Canal and Wall street – to name just a few of their most prolific locations.

“THE VEND DIAGRAM” began as an investigation into how the economy’s crumbling was affecting the most micro of businesses: The street vendor. We thought that these individuals hustling as much as seven days a week along Manhattan’s busiest thoroughfares would be able to provide a unique perspective on the recession in its most trickled-down glory. As we dug in and started talking to any vendors willing to speak candidly with us, we discovered that the weak economy was just one of the issues compromising their business. Police harassment, arbitrary licensing caps and a city government that seemed firmly on the side of Big retail, seemed to create a hostile environment for a workforce populated significantly by veterans (often disabled) and immigrants (often unable to fluently speak English).