“Secret Mall Apartment” speaks for itself
Written by Nevin Allen. Photo courtesy of IMDB.
There was before the secret apartment; there was after the secret apartment. Aside from being a punchline for the ages, this dichotomy handily guides the viewer through the shifting themes and tones of Jeremy Workman’s latest documentary, “Secret Mall Apartment.” Exactly like the name implies, the film reminisces on a covert living space created by a team of artists in the Providence Place Mall. Though the story started in 2003, the film also follows up with the eight participants, none of whom came forward prior to production.
It should be emphasized at this point that this documentary’s three-word title is also its greatest marketing tool. It perfectly encapsulates not only the undercover art installation itself but also the interpersonal dynamics and sociopolitical movements that inspired and surrounded it. Every new angle is discreet, thoughtful and delightfully insane.
One must also consider how close to home this story hits at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. “Secret Mall Apartment” (the room, not the documentary) creator Michael Townsend is a former Rhode Island School of Design instructor and a full-time creator of ephemeral artworks. Townsend is a role model for anyone who wants to make a career of their art. His pieces exist on an impressive spectrum of safety and legality, but all of it is innovative and heartfelt.
There is little else that can be said about “Secret Mall Apartment.” The documentary, like the piece, exists in a place of constant evolution. Audience members, like the original participants in the project, are strung along by the sense that they are experiencing something previously undiscovered and, therefore, brilliantly profound. The film is hilarious and heartfelt, informative and culturally mindful. It is a life-affirming exercise in everyday defiance and the transformative power of random beautiful things. It is “Secret Mall Apartment,” and it is everything.
