Louis, an urban renewal experiment gone bad director chad freidrichs traces the history and experiences of residents of st. With slyvester brown, irvin dagen, elmer fiedler, robert fishman. The name looms large in the minds of residents of st. The myth at the heart of the pruittigoe myth is that, if only such flaws had been anticipated, if only maintenance had been better, if only admission policies had been more stringent, the project would have worked. Its a tour of whats on the 55 acres now, since all 33 buildings in the complex were torn down. A closer look makes clear that, by arriving in northern cities during the heyday of governmentled housing policy, blacks were. The footage and images of its implosion have helped to perpetuate a myth of failure. The producers have compiled an additional fifty minutes of resident stories, a valuable oral history of life in pruittigoe that continues the emotional dialogue begun in the film. The pruittigoe myth, which premieres january 20 at the ifc center in new york city and will roll out to other us cities over the next few months, is a powerful film that deserves the attention and critical acclaim it has received as its moved through the film festival circuit. The pruittigoe myth is a 2011 documentary film detailing the history of the pruittigoe public housing complex in st. The pruittigoe myth, an urban history, directed by chad friedrichs the pruittigoe myth explores the social, economic and legislative issues that led to the decline of conventional public housing in america, and the city centers in which they resided, while tracing the personal and poignant narratives of several of the projects residents. Translate subtitle gives you the option to translate subtitle into another language on this page, just click translate this subtitles into another language and you will be automatically transferred to. Louis commissioned a public housing project unlike any in history.
But its also a film that evolved and changed from what freidrichs had originally envisioned. An urban history by rahul chadha friday, july 1st, 2011 what is perhaps most shocking about director chad freidrichs excellent film the pruittigoe myth is how strongly the st. An urban history ejonline in its short running time, the film is able to present how pruittigoe was first sold as a dream solution to a pressing problem and then weaponized as evidence that government projects for the poor are doomed to fail. Its 33 buildings were torn down in the mid1970s, and the project has. By the late 1960s, the complex had become internationally infamous for its poverty,crime, and segregation. New documentary the pruittigoe myth tells of the rise. The testimony of former residents forms the heart of the pruittigoe myth, but many great hours of resident interviews were left on the cutting room floor. A new film is set to demolish the conventional wisdom as to why. That is especially true with the heartbreaking documentary the pruittigoe myth about the failed eponymous housing projects in st. History is often much more complex than originally presented.
The pruittigoe myth is surely one of the best and most moving documentaries in recent years. Is failure central to the architectural profession. Living conditions in pruittigoe began to decline soon after completion in 1956. The pruittigoe myth and others have already delved into the issues surrounding the doomed public housing project and its destruction, but i find myself intrigued and saddened at what that vacant expanse of volunteer trees represents as well. The pruittigoe myth has, at its heart, the experiences of its residents, adding a human face to a subject that has become so depersonalized. The pruittigoe myth tells the story of the wholesale changes that took place in the american city in the decades after world war ii, through the lens of the infamous pruittigoe housing development in st. Louis demolished the pruittigoe public housing towers due to high vacancy and crime rates. The pruittigoe myth directly addresses the sweeping urban changes that took place in the years following the second world war. An urban history uses the story of the project to look at the failures of public housing, owing to poor planning, lack of funding, and ongoing racism. Department of housing and urban development office of policy development and research. The pruittigoe myth tells the story of the transformation of the american city in the decades after world war ii, through the lens of the infamous pruitt. It was designed to be a cure for the disease of poverty and slums, in which the city and community alike would thrive.
Not the dramatic, notorious television footage of the 1972 implosion of an 11story building in the st. The pruittigoe myth is a documentary film about the ways in which the american city changed in the 20th century. The pruittigoe myth is distributed by first run features and is screening at the ifc center in new york city starting january 20, 2012, and will roll out across the country to coincide with the 40 year anniversary of the implosion in march 2012 aerial view of the massive thirtythree building project. Built in 1956, pruittigoe was heralded as the model public housing project of the future, the poor mans penthouse. In 1977, a postmodernist theorist wrote that the destruction of the pruittigoe housing complex in st. An urban history in new york city, a man in front of me wondered aloud do you think there are more urban planners, or st. The pruittigoe myth tells the story of the transformation of the american city in the decades after world war ii, through the lens of the infamous pruittigoe housing development and the st. Two decades later, it ended in rubble its razing an iconic event. The pruittigoe myth explores the social, economic and legislative issues that led to the decline of conventional public housing in america, and the city centers in which they resided, while tracing the personal and poignant narratives of several of the projects residents. Living conditions in pruittigoe began to decline soon after its completion in 1956.
Louis, missouri, that was opened in the mid1950s was portion of the postwardream of replacing the. The pruittigoe myth seeks to set the historical record straight. Destroyed in a dramatic and highly publicized implosion, the pruitt. By the late 1960s, the complex had become internationally infamous for its poverty, crime and racial segregation. The pruittigoe myth explores the social, economic and legislative issues that led to the decline of. The pruittigoe myth docudrama tells about the narrative of the pruittigoe public lodging composite in st. The myth referenced in the films title is that pruittigoes fatal flaw was its architectural design, a longheld belief that friedrichs film handily debunks.
Designed by minoru yamasaki the architect who would later design the world trade. The pruittigoe myth chronicles an urban legends rise. The pruittigoe architect, minoru yamasaki, has the great misfortune of having. Pruittigoe was among the largest projects of urban revitalization during its time. An urban history so clearly shows, new residents in 1956 described the project as an oasis in the desert and for many it was like living in a big hotel resort.
Pruitt igoe myth public housing project business insider. In 1954, the first tenant moved into the federally funded pruittigoe housing. The worldfamous image of its implosion has helped to perpetuate a myth of failure, a failure that has been used to critique modernist architecture, attack public assistance programs, and stigmatize public housing residents. Trailer for the documentary film the pruittigoe myth. Louis, missouri, and the eventual decision to raze the entire complex in 1976 the documentary argues that the violent social collapse within the pruittigoe complex was not due to the demographic composition of its residents, but was a result of wider, external social. Focused and unfussy, the pruittigoe myth, directed by chad freidrichs, is the documentary as essay, and it has a stated purpose.
The pruittigoe myth documentary does an outstanding job of painting a vivid picture for one to visualize, the many hardships the residents faced. A unicorn stencil presentation in association with the missouri history museum. That is especially true with the heartbreaking documentary. However, as chad freidrichs documentary the pruittigoe myth.
To examine the interests involved in pruittigoes creation. Photographer unknown, family moves in to pruittigoe, 1950s, st. Louis, but also in the world of architecture, social welfare, government planning and criminology. Destroyed in a dramatic and highlypublicized implosion, the pruittigoe public housing complex has become a widespread symbol of failure amongst architects, politicians and policy makers. Pruitt, an africanamerican wwii fighter pilot, and william l. Pruitt homes and william igoe apartments, known together as pruittigoe, were joint urban housing projects first occupied in 1954 in the us city of st. Louis public housing authoritys policies toward the residents of the pruittigoe public housing projects smack of paternalism and social. Analysis of the pruittigoe myth documentary essay example. The pruittigoe myth pruittigoe was a large urban housing project first occupied in 1954 in the u. And yet, despite this complex history, pruittigoe has often been stereotyped.