John Wilson of the HBO series “How To With John Wilson” is back with a very perplexing, but expected to be an interesting, documentary subject: the culture of concrete in New York City, which will be highlighted in the new film “The History of Concrete.” That pic is heading to theaters next month, and with that, Magnolia Pictures has released a teaser trailer.
There has been some substantial buzz for the film, which could end up being a good contender for awards consideration in the field of documentaries, even with its humorous leanings, as Wilson often highlights the many quirky personalities living in the city. Earlier in the year, The Playlist reviewed the doc with a glowing reaction to Wilson’s latest effort as part of our coverage of the Sundance Film Festival.
While the teaser is designed to be obscure and silly, the synopsis might explain things a little more:
Following the finale of his TV series, filmmaker John Wilson looks to the bedrock of his beloved New York City for inspiration and structure. Concrete, the world’s most widely used building material, appears as an ever-present life force, and John sets out to make the definitive documentary on the matter. To tell this seemingly drab story, he decides to use the industry-approved Hallmark formula to increase his movie’s appeal. But his foundation soon begins to crumble—literally and figuratively—as he struggles to balance artistic freedom with the realities of the modern film industry.
The producing team includes Wilson, Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, and Allie Viti, alongside executive producers Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Conor Hannon, and Richie Doyle.
Watch that aforementioned teaser for “The History of Concrete,” the comedic documentary, which heads to screens in NYC on September 18 and in Los Angeles on September 25.
