Mayor of the West Side

Mayor of the West Side Synopsis

This complex, engaging video explores what happens when love gets in the way of letting go. It is the riveting coming-of-age story of Mark Puddington, a teenager with multiple disabilities, who is a local celebrity in his New York City neighborhood. Against the backdrop of preparations for his Bar Mitzvah, and with the constant, unstinting support of his devoted mother, both his family and the wider community face the reality of his uncertain future. They must consider what Mark's life will be like when they are no longer able to protect and take care of him. Filmmaker Judd Ehrlich worked for nearly ten years as a caretaker for Mark, and his close relationship with the family results in an unusually intimate portrait of family dynamics.