A Short History of the Highrise

A Short History of 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 which have largely been unseen in decades. Each film is intended to evoke a chapter in a storybook, with rhyming narration and photographs brought to life with intricate animation. The fourth chapter (Home) is comprised of images submitted by the public. The interactive experience incorporates the films and, like a visual accordion, allows users to dig deeper into the project’s themes with additional archival materials, text and micro-games. The festival premiere will include a screening of the films, followed by a walk-through demonstration of highlights from the interactive experience.