Secret Mall Apartment

Secret Mall Apartment
Directed byJeremy Workman
Produced byJeremy Workman
StarringMichael Townsend
Colin Bliss
Adriana Valdez Young
Andrew Oesch
Greta Scheing
James Mercer
Emily Ustach
Jay Zehngebot
CinematographyDan Kennedy
Michael Lisnet
Jeremy Workman
Edited byPaul Murphy
Jeremy Workman
Music byClaire Manchon
Olivier Manchon
Production
company
Wheelhouse Creative
Release date
  • March 8, 2024 (2024-03-08) (SXSW)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Secret Mall Apartment is an American documentary film directed by filmmaker Jeremy Workman that recounts the story of a group of young Rhode Islanders who built a secret apartment inside the bustling Providence Place shopping mall in Providence, Rhode Island in 2003, living there for four years until getting caught and charged with trespassing in 2007.[1][2][3] The story had been urban legend for many years[4] and the documentary brought together the original 8 participants for the first time in 17 years.[5]

Secret Mall Apartment had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on March 8, 2024[6] where its popularity earned it the festival's first added "Buzz Screening".[7] It was cited in several high-profile publications as one of the stand-out documentaries of SXSW[8][9] and subsequently as one of "the best documentaries of 2024."[10][11]

Secret Mall Apartment marks the second collaboration between Workman and actor Jesse Eisenberg, who serves as one of the film's producers.[12][13] Previously, Eisenberg produced Workman's 2018 documentary The World Before Your Feet.

  1. ^ McGowan, Dan (February 29, 2024). "The Rhode Island documentary we've been waiting for". Boston Globe. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ^ Daley, Lauren (2024-05-02). "Two decades ago, eight artists moved into a 'secret' room in the Providence Place mall. Now there's a film about it". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  3. ^ Mooney, Tom. "Artists lived in a secret apartment inside Providence Place mall. Now it's a movie". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  4. ^ Bett, John (2023-01-30). "Man lived in shopping centre for years after making 'secret flat' in unused room". The Mirror. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  5. ^ "In Secret Mall Apartment, 8 Artists Who Built a Home Inside a Mall Finally Speak, 17 Years Later". www.moviemaker.com. 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  6. ^ Lang, Brent (2024-03-07). "Eight Friends Built a Secret Apartment in a Mall and Hid There Undetected for Years; A New SXSW Documentary Explains How and Why". Variety. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  7. ^ "Buzz Screening 1 - Secret Mall Apartment". SXSW 2024 Schedule. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  8. ^ Jacobs, Matthew (2024-03-21). "The 12 Best Movies We Saw This Year at SXSW". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  9. ^ Spilde, Coleman (2024-03-09). "These Artists Built an Apartment Inside a Mall, and No One Noticed". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  10. ^ Morse, Erik (2024-04-15). "The Best (and Most Anticipated) Documentaries of 2024". Vogue. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  11. ^ Howell, Peter (2024-05-22). "Hot Docs 2024: Our critic picks the 10 best documentaries showing at the embattled festival". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  12. ^ Lang, Brent (2024-03-07). "Eight Friends Built a Secret Apartment in a Mall and Hid There Undetected for Years; A New SXSW Documentary Explains How and Why". Variety. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  13. ^ Meza, Kimberly (2024-03-15). "'Secret Mall Apartment' Reveals the 8 Rhode Islanders that Lived Inside a Mall for 4 Years". Collider. Retrieved 2024-10-04.