DC’s Heartbeat (2024) explores what it means to create an accessible art space in Washington DC. Through the story of the Carter Barron Amphitheater, a 4,000-seat performance space in Rock Creek Park, the film examines how the city's immense development in recent decades impacts DC’s unique art and music scene; notably, the increasing challenges for artists and long-time residents of color. DC’s Heartbeat shares the voices of community members and creators, working fiercely to revitalize this "oasis in the city."

 

In a city that is deeply segmented along economic, racial, and industry lines, the amphitheater is known for its unique history of bringing together a wide range of communities. In 1947, Carter Barron, the Vice Chairman of the Sesquicentennial Commission, designed this space to memorialize the 150th anniversary of Washington, D.C. Since then, the amphitheater has hosted local artists, as well as internationally recognized performers, from Stevie Wonder to the National Symphony Orchestra. Due to structural instability and limited funding, the amphitheater closed in 2017. Though the Carter Barron Amphitheater is in the center of a dense urban area, it is known as a sacred space, for its tree cover, affordability, and multi-generational audiences.