VIFF 2024: Secret Mall Apartment
United States of America | Jeremy Workman | 91 minutes
Did you ever wish you could live at the mall? In 2003, that’s just what Michael Townsend and several of his friends did, creating one of the most original guerilla art projects of the 21st century, building and furnishing a hidden 750 sq. foot apartment — complete with couch, cabinet, even a TV and PlayStation — inside the Providence Mall in Rhode Island. It remained undetected for four years. As a small cohort of artists who had been displaced due to the mall’s development, the initial act of living in the mall evolved from a practical joke to a personal act of reclaiming space from real estate moguls and developers.
Stitched together from camcorder footage from twenty years ago alongside interviews with the original participants -– many of whom are only revealing themselves now for the first time -– Secret Mall Apartment strikes a balancing act between the absurdity of its story and surprisingly profound questions about gentrification, the nature of social art, and what truly makes a home.
Thursday, October 3
6:45 pm
Advance tickets HERE
For detailed Vancouver International Film Fest information, including current showtimes and advance ticketing, please re-direct to www.viff.org.
All ticketing for VIFF events are managed by VIFF. If you have any questions about ticketing and availability, please connect with them directly. Please do not contact the Rio Theatre for ticketing info.
Unless otherwise noted, all VIFF screenings and events at the Rio Theatre are 19+ only. Please have valid ID with you upon entry.
VIFF screenings at the Rio Theatre tend to be busy! All seating is General Admission. We encourage all patrons to purchase tickets in advance to ensure entry, and to please come early (20-30 mins at least) to get great seats and have time for treats at our concession.
Please note: Rio Theatre Groupons and passes are n/a for any VIFF screening.
VIFF thanks the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations for their continued stewardship of the unceded and occupied land on which our work takes place. As an organization founded and predominantly directed by settlers and immigrants, we understand our responsibility to seek out and build authentic relationships with Indigenous communities, and to allow this ongoing dialogue to influence our practices. As part of this process, we remain committed to collaborating with and supporting Indigenous artists, filmmakers, curators, and audiences.
- IMDB