On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Elmhurst College will screen the documentary The Area, this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. intercultural presentation.

The Area follows the five-year odyssey of a South Side Chicago neighborhood where more than 400 African-American families are being displaced by a multi-billion dollar freight company. The film tells the stories of homeowner-turned-activist Deborah Payne, who vows to be “the last house standing,” and the Row Row Boys, teen friends who must start a new life across gang lines.

A panel discussion with Payne, who also is a producer on the film, and co-producer Brian Ashby will follow the screening. You can learn more about the film at theareafilm.com.

“The Area” is a production of Scrappers Film Group. It is a 2017 IFP Documentary Labs awardee and is supported by the Graham Foundation, the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The film was also a participant in the Tribeca Film Institute/Kartemquin Films Tribeca Hacks program.

The screening of “The Area” will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19, in the Schaible Science Center, Illinois Hall. Admission is $10 for the general public and free for Elmhurst College students, faculty, staff and alumni. Tickets are available by visiting elmhurst.edu/cultural. For more information, call (630) 617-5186.