The People’s Market follows the Save the Preston Market Action Group over four years, part of a campaign spanning more than a decade, as they fight to protect the iconic Preston Market from redevelopment. In 2021, when the Victorian Planning Authority approves plans to demolish the historic market and replace it with luxury apartments and a smaller market, a diverse grassroots movement mobilises to stop it. What begins as a local campaign grows into a major community movement that pressures politicians, challenges developers, and reshapes the political landscape in Melbourne’s north.
At the centre of the story is the late Gaetano Greco, local councillor, independent political candidate, and outspoken community advocate whose runs as an Independent candidate in the Victorian State Election, contributing to the seat of Preston becoming marginal for the first time since its creation in 1945 and who is a driving force behind the campaign.
The film follows the personal journeys of several volunteers, including Laura, who had never been involved in activism before joining the campaign. Through interviews and observational footage, we witness community members become organisers, advocates and public voices for their community. From campaigning on the steps of Parliament, to strategy discussions in family homes and attempts to meet directly with the developers and government ministers, the documentary captures both the intensity of grassroots activism and the close relationships formed through collective struggle.
The People’s Market is a story about migration, belonging, grief, resilience and the importance of preserving the places that hold communities together. While the campaign ultimately succeeds in securing a cultural heritage overlay that protects the market from demolition, it is marked by the sudden passing of Gaetano Greco, whose legacy continues to shape the movement and the community he helped mobilise and lead.
