The Building Site

The Building Site

In a dilapidated palazzo in Palermo, elderly residents live alongside cats, mice, and birds. They are told they must move because the building is going to be renovated. While the residents pack their boxes, cruise ships arrive and thousands of tourists stream into the city. The Building Site is a melancholic story, told like a dream, in which transience takes center stage. This documentary by Tito Puglielli and Tiziano Locci is a poetic reflection on the touristification of old city centers and its significance for the local residents. The palazzo could use the renovation, but you wonder what will happen to the former inhabitants. What will be left for them?

New City

When documentary filmmaker Johan returns to his hometown of Amsterdam to make a film about gentrification, he is confronted with his own role in the problem. The 16mm film he attempts to make with family and friends reveals more about himself than he intended. To what extent is he still drawn to the city where he grew up? Filmmaker Sebald van der Waal offers a personal, philosophical, and humorous look at his love-hate relationship with city life.