The Danish photographer Jacob Riis was born in Ribe, Scandinavia's
oldest cathedral city, in the middle of the 19th century and it was
there that his interest in human values and the many social aspects of
life arose. Prevented from marrying the girl of his dreams he left Ribe
and emigrated to the USA.
In the USA today his memory is celebrated and respected. He is
renowned for his achievements and left a very clear imprint; his book
"How The Other Half Lives" is used to this day at US high schools and
universities. Well-known buildings, parks and places of higher
education have been named after him, and many of his photographs and
film strips are lodged at the Museum of the City of New York and the
American National Museum of Washington.
This unique documentary material about the Danish and American past
is intelligently interwoven with reconstructions of today's New York
slums and streets using actors and people who are genuinely homeless.
The director is the first to obtain the film rights to Riis' pictures
and he has created a quality product with a very long shelf life that
will be suitable for use in different television contexts for years to
come.