Loud Murmurs

In this episode, we talk about film "In the Heights" — a film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's 2008 Tony Award-winning musical — with our friends from podcast 城市罐头. We mused on a few galactic questions: What exactly is gentrification? Why should we care, and how do we understand it in a Chinese context? Is commercializing the culture of a community the way to protect it? Why does this film feel lacking in 2021? 02:53 Introduction to the film 07:21 What is gentrification, and why should we pay attention to it?14:00 Why is gentrification considered as a “foreign” concept to Chinese people?19:58 Gentrification in the context of Chinese urban development25:03 For a community struggling with gentrification, is commercializing its culture a feasible solution? 33:05 “Selective blackouts” and environmental racism38:55 How do you design a good community? Can you? 45:56 Is getting out of the ethnic enclave a symbol of progress? 48:15 The common pitfall of films adapted from musicals54:50 Casting contro