A Short History of the Highrise
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE HIGHRISE
Dig in to 2,500 years of vertical living through a digital storybook, with New York Times archives partnering with the NFB of Canada.
A Short History of the Highrise
Dig in to 2,500 years of vertical living through a storybook, with New York Times archives
A Short History of the Highrise is an interactive documentary that explores the 2,500-year global history of vertical living and issues of social equality in an increasingly urbanized world. The centerpiece of the project is four short films. The first three (“Mud,” “Concrete” and “Glass”) draw on the New York Times’s extraordinary visual archives, a repository of millions of photographs that have largely been unseen in decades. Created for Op-Docs, the New York Times editorial department’s forum for short, opinionated documentaries, and is part of the National Film Board of Canada’s ongoing Highrise project, an Emmy Award-winning multiyear, many-media collaborative documentary experiment.
A Short History of the Highrise | MUD
In the first installment, "Mud" traces the historical roots of the residential highrise, from the biblical Tower of Babel to the tenement buildings of New York. The film is narrated by singer-songwriter Feist, and is directed by Katerina Cizek in collaboration with the New York Times.
https://www.nfb.ca/film/short_history_of_the_highrise_part_one_mud/
A Short History of the Highrise | CONCRETE
In the second installment, "Concrete" explores how, in New York City and globally, residential high-rises and public housing attempted to foster social equality in the 20th century. The film is narrated and directed by Katerina Cizek in collaboration with the New York Times.
https://www.nfb.ca/film/short_history_of_the_highrise_part_two_concrete/
A Short History of the Highrise | GLASS
In the third installment, "Glass" examines the recent proliferation of luxury condos and the growing segregation between the rich and poor. The film is narrated by the singer-songwriter of Cold Specks, and is directed by Katerina Cizek in collaboration with the New York Times.
https://www.nfb.ca/film/short_history_of_the_highrise_part_three_glas/
A Short History of the Highrise | HOME
In the final installment, "Home" consists of images from New York Timesreaders, who submitted personal pictures of their lives in high-rises from around the world. Montreal musician Patrick Watson wrote the music for the film.
https://www.nfb.ca/film/short_history_of_the_highrise_part_four_home/