The Lost Arcade

New York in the 1970s and 80s was a dingy place characterised by unemployment, vacant houses and violence. Amusement arcades were among the few places where young people could go. For hours, teenagers – almost all boys – threw quarters in the machine to play Pacman or Street Fighter. Until the Xbox and Playstation came out and everyone stayed at home. Chinatown Fair, one of the oldest arcades in New York, was forced to close in 2011.
The Lost Arcade is a nostalgic look at the long lost days when Chinatown Fair was a meeting place for young people. Within their own microcosm, they acquired self-esteem from competitive gaming and formed friendships across all racial boundaries. Kurt Vincent shows how they try to maintain this spirit: regular customer Henry Cen starts a modernised arcade in Brooklyn, while a relative outsider tries to breathe new life into Chinatown Fair.

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