How does a filmmaker get the greenlight for their dream documentary project amid an ongoing industry contraction? If you’re the idiosyncratic mastermind behind HBO’s How To with John Wilson, you attend a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies then apply all the same best practices to your own film: an in-depth investigation of concrete (the most ubiquitous of building materials).
With his first feature, documentarian and humourist Wilson continues his methodology of starting with a seemingly straighforward idea and using it as a jumping off point for frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions. Maintaining the format of his series, History of Concrete sees Wilson adroitly assembling low-resolution verité vignettes into collages that complement his deadpan philosophising. Guiding it all is Wilson’s infectious sense of inquiry and laudable desire to retain his artistic freedom in defiance of the powers-that-be.
Didn’t get a ticket? Just want to see it again? The History of Concrete will be returning to the VIFF Centre starting Oct 30.
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2026
English
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Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Ronald Bronstein, Conor Hannon, Richie Doyle
Producer
John Wilson, Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, Allie Viti
Cinematography
Nellie Kluz
Editor
Cori Wapnowska
Original Music
Suzanne Ciani
John Wilson
John Wilson is a New York-based documentarian best known for his acclaimed HBO series How To with John Wilson.
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