The History of Concrete

Probably the only documentary to ever draw thematic connections between Hallmark Christmas movies, affordable housing in New York City, and tattoo preservation after death, The History Of Concrete plays like a welcome continuation of John Wilson’s delightfully peculiar HBO series How To With John Wilson. As with that Emmy-nominated show, Wilson here becomes interested in a seemingly rudimentary topic but then plunges down diverse rabbit holes, finding unlikely through-lines that eventually develop into something far more grand and strange.

Though ostensibly a comedy that spotlights the bizarreness of ordinary people, the documentary is never snide. Wilson finds himself hanging out on a low-budget film shoot, talking to an ageing singer whose neighbourhood is being affected by pollution, or filming a unique 3100-mile race that takes place on only one city block, and always approaches these different worlds with curiosity. As a result, the people Wilson meets open him up to new ways of thinking, and the longer he spends with them, the richer the conversations become.– Tim Grierson, Screen Daily

“What he’s pulled off here is a DIY parody of nonfiction filmmaking, poking fun at everything in a movie about nothing.” – Peter Debruge, Variety

Explore the full programme at nziff.co.nz.