In its series 'Sometimes Cities: Urban America Beyond NYC,' New York City's Anthology Film Archives explores the intersection of architecture and people. Photo courtesy Anthology Film Archives/Julian Temple Requiem for Detroit? was developed by director Julien Temple to chronicle the “first post-American city.” Related Links: Imploding the Pruitt-Igoe Myth We’re All Doomed (Maybe) Urbanized Surveys Global Cities, in All Their Squalor and Glory When director Chad Friedrichs began work on a documentary about the notorious Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis, he thought he was making a film about architecture and environmental determinism. But as he did more research, the

Surviving Progress paints a bleak view of humanity’s future Photo courtesy First Run Features The Sao Paulo skyline as shown in the film. Related Links: Review: How Do I Love You, Mr. Foster? Review: New Eames Film Tepid Tribute Review: Imploding the Pruitt-Igoe Myth Questioning whether progress has actually occurred in the past 200 years is an audacious task in a film of less than 90 minutes. But directors Mathieu Roy and Harold Crooks make a noble attempt in their documentary Surviving Progress, which opens in New York on Friday and nationally on April 20. The film, based on the

A new documentary attempts to alter how we look at St. Louis's infamous public housing project. The first Pruitt-Igoe building to be demolished was imploded in 1972. Click on the slide show button to view additional images. The Pruitt-Igoe housing project seen before its demolition. Accepted wisdom will have us believe St. Louis' infamous Pruitt-Igoe public housing development was destined for failure. Designed by George Hellmuth and World Trade Center architect Minoru Yamasaki (of Leinweber, Yamasaki & Hellmuth), the 33-building complex opened in 1954, its Modernist towers touted as a remedy to overcrowding in the city’s tenements. Rising crime, neglected

Photo courtesy First Run Features The DVD version of Eames: The Architect and the Painter was released on December 13. Photo courtesy First Run Features Ray Eames with an early prototype of The Toy, made of cardboard triangles. Related Links: Stamps Commemorate Charles and Ray Eames Under the California Sun, Architecture Blossomed Even without footing in the design world, the name “Eames” is instantly recognizable. The Eames chair was such a game-changer when it was unveiled in 1956 that it has found a place—either literally or through designs it inspired—in countless homes and offices in the United States and around

The new documentary marks the finale of filmmaker Gary Hustwit's design trilogy. Photo courtesy Gary Hustwit The film features scenes from Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai. Photo courtesy Gary Hustwit Hustwit critically assesses the Stuttgart 21 project, which calls for tearing down a landmark train station and handing over a large parcel of public land to private developers. The project has drawn considerable opposition. In the echo chamber of American documentaries, Gary Huswit’s films reverberate for all the right reasons. They are open explorations, not narrow screeds, that encourage insiders and philistines alike to robustly and respectfully debate the cultural