At this rate, they’ll never find Nemo.
A kids summer movie series at East River State Park in Williamsburg is practically unwatchable because of blinding lights from a nearby soccer field makes it like watching a drive-in moving during the day.
“The lights glare out several blocks,” said Jonathan Burkan, an organizer of the summer film series of the lights coming from above soccer fields at Bushwick Inlet Park. “It is a big, blinding light.”
The two parks are just a few steps away from each other, but they are separate entities, with East River State Park is run by the state and Bushwick Inlet Park controlled by the city.
And when Burkan and his fellow organizers approached the city about turning the lights off or down during the films, Burkan claimed the city said the lights had to stay on and suggested that the organizers get a different projector
Burkan did get a different screen, but it only helped so much.
“There was a shadow from one of the lights that was closer to the screen,” said Mary Frederickson, who went to see “Finding Nemo” with her husband, son, and neighbors. “It was not perfect.”
Despite the complaints, the city said it does what it can to keep the lights glare on just the field, and it has no intention to flip the switch during the screenings.
“The field at Bushwick Inlet Park is in very high demand and used virtually every night during the summer,” said spokesman Zachary Feder. “The field lights were installed with shields to direct light toward the field and prevent light pollution into the neighborhood.”
The last film in the summer series, “Frozen,” will show next Tuesday night.
