3500+ Films - 2.5 million words – 1 million viewers! Founder and Curator Carmela selects some of our most entertaining, powerful and inspiring Cities films at We Are Moving Stories. These include short and feature length documentary and drama about moving, cities, urban spaces, global stories, empowerment - and architects.
Total length of this section: 27 films.
<MOVING>
DTLA Street Futures - Building the future today. Length: 5 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Karl Baumann:
“I made the film to showcase the possibilities for Los Angeles to shake its reputation as a “car-centric” city. Since moving to LA, I’ve been surrounded by inspiring urban planners and I wanted to represent an alternative vision of the city, based on our shared conversations and dreams. The CicLAvia events, like the one I shot in downtown, have been symbolic of LA’s new direction. It’s been inspiring to witness what happens when you block off the streets from cars to let pedestrians and cyclists take over. These events are not just fun and inclusive gatherings, but also a way to experiment and test out a new city. I also wanted to reveal the power of such events for inviting citizens to reimagine their city through active participation.”
Velo Visionaries - Changing the world, one ride at a time. Length: 8 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Kristin Tieche:
“So far, I’ve made three Velo Visionaries. The first episode features Chris Carlsson, one of the co-founders of Critical Mass and also of the history project called Shaping San Francisco. Chris talks about how history is always present with us and we are all constantly creating history. The second episode features Morgan Fitzgibbons, a community organizer. Morgan talks about building resilient communities, and how paradigm shift starts with your own neighborhood and grows out from there. The third episode features Alicia Tapia, creator of the Bibliobicicleta, a free library on wheels. Alicia talks about the power of knowledge, indigenous wisdom and Zen.”
City of Love - 1 Driver. 148 Rides. 1 City. 1 Date. 2 Deaths. 1 Miracle. Length: 81 minutes. Writer/Director Èric Boadella:
“We wanted to make a movie about a character that has been disconnected from society and decides to become a rideshare driver to reconnect with the city he once was part of. The redemption of the anti-hero.”
Cycologic - Traveling the streets of Kampala one does not only face a chaotic and dangerous traffic environment but also struggles to go through endless queues, pollution, motorcyclists and cars attacking you from every angle which is an energy-consuming dilemma. The urban planner Amanda Ngabirano's biggest dream is to have a cycling lane in her city. An impossible task, according to most people, but not according to Amanda. Length: 15 minutes. Director/Writer/Producer Emilia Stålhammar:
“We realised that there was lacking inspirational films about East Africa and therefore a lack of representation of women in media. We felt an urge to create one ourselves!”
Rush Hour - The daily odyssey and emotional cost of long commutes in three different cities around the world. Length: 84 minutes. Writer/Director Luciana Kaplan:
“I wanted to make a film about loneliness in big cities, about the odyssey of the common men and women, struggling to survive and make a difference. I think we are getting so disconnected from our own emotional needs in order to survive that we end up forgetting who we are and we are ultimately making choices in our lives that are not sustainable, for ourselves and for the cities we live in.”
Subway Stops - A cinematic experience of the New York subways, featuring the commuters, panhandlers, and performers passing through. Length: 18 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Joe Zakko:
“As the camera makes its journey from character to character, each is struggling with the weight of moving forward, but that struggle is decidedly different for each of them. There is a loneliness in the incommunicability of it all, and an irony in that loneliness uniting us. ”
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City Bus - On her 30th birthday, Helen’s usual bus to work detours across town, taking her back to her youth, to a place she can’t move on from. Length: 13 minutes. Director Lauren Hoekstra:
“Helen, the protagonist, made a horrible mistake when she turned 16 and her subsequent regret trapped her in a state of immobility. She couldn’t forget the past and refused to live in the present – preferring instead a surreal escapism in an imaginary world. The film explores this regret and focuses on the moment in her life when she is finally able to move on.”
I Love New York - In a city where everyone's got an angle, how do you survive? After a NYC first-timer befriends a savvy street girl on the train, she takes him on a fantastical ride through all the city's pitfalls. But nothing's free in this town, so tighten up your hustle or you might just get hustled yourself. Length: 11 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Christian Vogeler:
“Smelly streets, congested sidewalks, and sharp hustlers trying to make a buck is just part of that true love. It’s like when your significant other has or does something that most would consider an imperfection, but you see it as a adorable characteristic, you know it’s love.”
Saigon Kiss - Mơ roams through the rush hour traffic to avoid an unwanted phone call. When she meets Vicky by the side of the street with her broken motorbike, a visceral chance encounter unfolds between the two young queer women on the loud streets of Saigon. Length: 22 minutes. Writer/Director Hồng Anh Nguyễn:
“The film is also an attempt to take a snapshot of this rapidly changing modern metropolis. Buildings and people appear and disappear so fast, always filled with a lot of uncertainty but also curiosity for the future. I wanted to drop these protagonists into the chaos of Saigon and see how they would navigate this transient city on a personal level. The story of their encounter celebrates genuine and deep encounters with strangers and cherishes ephemeral places, as they might disappear soon.”
<URBAN SPACES>
Alice's Garden - Venice Williams, director of a community garden in Milwaukee, intertwines the history of slavery, the garden, rivers and water, and connects to the present, showing how the garden is using innovative water solutions that are a model for communities nationwide. Length: 9 minutes. Director/Editor Jenny Plevin:
“It is a film about a garden, that makes connections from the escape of enslaved people, to rivers, to a garden, to modern urban spaces not designed for everyone to enjoy, to conservation and building a giant cistern, to the work we need to do for our children’s, children’s, children. Hopefully it will inspire people to action around water and make connections between water and liberation. ”
Scenes from a Dry City - Gripped by a fear of drought, Scenes From A Dry City uses the lens of water to reveal cracks in Cape Town’s complex social fabric. Length: 13 minutes. Writers/Directors Francois Verster and Simon Wood:
“FRANCOIS: Simon and I both live in Cape Town. At the beginning of last year, the public was suddenly receiving warnings that the taps may be turned off - and predictions were being made ranging from exploding sewerage pipes to typhoid epidemics to social insurrection. Many wealthier Capetonians actually left the city for Johannesburg, the supermarkets ran out of bottled water after panic ensued and people started stockpiling, and there was a general sense of simply not knowing how life would proceed should there be no water.”
A New American Dream A significant number of Baby Boomers and Millennials are moving back into America’s downtowns looking for a new American Dream. What they seek is walkable urbanism – a vibrant urban place where they can walk to the important destinations of life. This new life is downsized and sustainable, but not without its challenges as cities struggle with twenty-first century problems. DOWNTOWN focuses on Springfield, Missouri and its growing urban population. Length: 78 minutes. Writer/Director Andy Cline.
At the Corner of Change: 82nd and Division - How can one of Portland's most bustling and diverse intersections change without losing what makes the community special? Length: 4 minutes. Director Dawn Jones Redstone:
“We hear a lot of talk about gentrification and displacement these days; it’s the reality of any modern city. We also know that many areas need investment for basic safety and mobility. And we see government putting out promotional media all the time. Metro (Oregon regional government) chose to place voices of hope alongside voices of concern about how their neighborhood is changing and what it really needs. That’s not what we usually expect from our government.”
Beneath a Glass Floor Lobby - A Super 8 essay film on what two mixed-use development sites in Miami reveal about the city’s conflicted relationship to its history. Length: 5 minutes. Director, Producer, Writer, Editor Lisa Danker:
“You should watch this film to learn that the Tequestas built organized settlements in Miami long before Europeans arrived. You should watch it to reflect on how the Tequestas built their villages on the water more than two centuries ago in a city that is now threatened by coastal flooding.”
<GLOBAL>
Commodity City - A short documentary in the world's largest wholesale mall. Length: 11 minutes. Director Jessica Kingdon:
“I was interested in working in China, and intrigued by the idea of the Yiwu Market, which is the largest wholesale mall in the world. I wanted to make a film that focuses on the quieter, more subtle moments that could place within such a large and overwhelmingly chaotic place whose occupants are focused on buying and selling. I thought the mix of visual abundance and everyday life would make a compelling story. ”
Barakat - People hold the memory of their cities, and vice versa. After-war modern Beirut and its people have lost their anchors towards a memory-less relationship. Vacant luxury stores and overpriced unoccupied apartments have made the rebuilt city a costly monument of vanity, commodified heritage, and social-delusion. Length: 14 minutes. Writer/Director Manon Nammour:
“All the scenery around us is changing and we are too busy to notice. I wanted to point out on a generation that knew Beirut and can’t recognize it anymore. A city that was rebuilt and reconstructed and lost its identity and memories.”
Accidental Parkland - Toronto is blessed with a bounty of natural spaces within its urban footprint. Yet they are poorly understood and widely under appreciated. Our future depends on changing our relationship with them. Length: 42 minutes. Writer, Director and Producer: Dan Berman:
“As the greater Toronto area is adding 100,000 or more new residents per year, and because there’s a Greenbelt around the urban region containing sprawl, the intensification of our cities is making these green resources ever more valuable to maintain our quality of life.”
North Circular - A musical trip through inner city Dublin. Length: 86 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Luke McManus:
“I poured my many obsessions into this film which is the most personal work of my career. But counter-intuitively, this has also worked to the film’s advantage globally - there is something universal about this place and this film and its engagement with audiences around the world never ceases to surprise me. ”
<EMPOWERMENT>
Instrument of Change: Street Piano - Music transforms people's lives. Street Pianos transform cities. This film is about generating more street pianos across the globe. Length: 42 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Maureen Ni Fiann:
“Every time that I passed the street piano I had such interesting encounters - with either someone playing or listening. A child doing a duet with a homeless person. A traffic warden doing gospel. A refuse worker composing a song. Two young guys who just met improvising a song.
Everyone I spoke to about the pianos had the same reaction - their eyes would light up - “O when I passed one day I heard this song that reminded me of my father…” “I was really stressed and I looked up and was amazed at this young guy with a BMX playing Mozart.”
I was a therapist at the time working with people and relationships. I could clearly see that the piano was a therapist for cities!”
For Vegas - Exiled writer Ahmed Naji pens a letter to the city which may or may not be his salvation. Length : 42 minutes. Director/Producer Robin Greenspun:
“A lifelong resident of Las Vegas, the film became an unexpected chance to explore my city, my country, my culture, through the eyes of a man in exile searching for his and his family’s future.”
The Urban Cloth Project: Creating a Social Fabric - Environmental Artist Sharon Kallis leads a year-long project to grow and produce cloth in downtown Vancouver, and to foster a relearning of local knowledge, and with that, the joy of community and the need to care for the land around us. Writer/Director/Producer Martin Borden. Length: 6 minutes.
Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA - Robert Simon (above at left) had a vision for American life. While 1950s post-war suburban sprawl prioritized individualism, homogeneity, and single-family homes, he dreamed of a model of living that valued community, nature, and social equity. Length: 69 minutes. Director/Producer Rebekah Wingert-Jabi:
“Reston, VA was an innovative design for a New Town that prioritized community, nature, and social equity, integrating citizens across racial, economic, and religious divides. Growing up here, I lived this experience, which I grew to appreciate greatly after moving away.
When I moved back to Reston as an adult in 2009, residents were preparing for the 50th anniversary. It was the perfect chance for me to dig into the history of my community and its founder. As a filmmaker, documentary was the natural way for me to explore this history.”
Three Short Films by Marika Snider - Three short films including Boombox Retail: How can a city like Chicago use architecture to think small and empower women and people of color? C-House: Can a house be a billboard? What is Inclusive Design?: Can beautiful architecture make disabilities irrelevant? Writer/Director/Producer Marika Snider:
“Each of these films is personal in two ways: by following a single architects design process, and by helping the viewer have a personal experience with the building. However, buildings aren’t simply used by their owners but have a bigger impact on the community around them.”
Last Dance on the Main - When developers and local authorities begin dismantling a row of historic buildings on Montreal’s St Laurent boulevard, they stumble upon the resistance put up by a burlesque venue. Length: 3 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Aristofanis Soulikias:
“I made this film out of my outrage for what was taking place in my native city Montreal: a row of historic buildings was being demolished, after being expropriated, to give way to high rise office buildings, altering thus forever a distinctive down town neighbourhood. As an architect who spent most of his career in building conservation, I felt compelled to make a case for the value of a city’s built and cultural heritage which has grown organically over time. The triumph of a cabaret resisting expropriation and the symbolic weight of dancers winning over bulldozers was my ultimate inspiration.”
<ARCHITECTS>
Neutra In Roatan (Short Film) - Father and son, Dion and Nick Neutra, embark on a journey to build the 10th island project of the Neutra Practice: Nick’s own home and studio complex on the Honduran island of Roatan. A renowned architect, a sound recording engineer, and a tropical paradise: the ultimate challenge of building a modern masterpiece on a beautiful Caribbean island. Length: 8 Minutes. Director & Producer Tavo Olmos & John Kiffe:
“My lifelong friendship with Nick Neutra provided the inspiration for this film. Of our many cherished childhood memories, it was our visits to the Neutra Research House that stand out. Though Richard had recently passed, the matriarch, Dione Neutra entertained by singing and accompanying herself on cello. A magical experience that set in motion a love for art and eventually a career photographing historic architecture.”
Im/Perfection - Immigrating from Japan to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1961, Hitoshi Hida struggled to learn English as he excelled in math and painting during high school. Abandoning his desire to be an artist, Hida pursued a career in architecture. Over the course of nearly 40 years, he has created thousands of hand-drawn architectural renderings, dedicating his life to the craft and pursuit of perfection. Length: 12 minutes. Director Andrew Hida:
“I have always wanted to create a film about my dad, who is an architect. My father keeps his life very compartmentalized, so even though I knew what my dad did for a living, I didn’t really know exactly what he did. Part of me wanted to create this film as a documentation of his career and extraordinary talent in a dying craft, and to learn more about my dad and his career. And part of me wanted to create this film as a testament to my father, my hero, who paved the path for me to be able to pursue my own artistic craft.”
Windshield: A Vanished Vision - In the mid-1930s an idealistic patron of architecture boldly embraces modernism and sets out to change society by commissioning Richard Neutra’s first building on the East Coast. Length: 46 minutes. Director, Producer, Editor Elissa Brown:
“This film is incredibly personal as it is about my family, so of course on one level I’m discovering who they were and what made them tick. At the same time, though, the themes about creativity and figuring out one’s role in the world are absolutely universal.”