The silent walls

Men at Lunch

February 2013 •English

This remarkable new documentary explores the story behind one of the most iconic images of the twentieth century: the 1932 photograph of workmen taking their lunch while perched on a girder high above New York City.

Hilton Hotel Construction

September 1959 •English

The Hilton Hotel rises from the ashes, surrounded by derelict houses and bomb damaged streets.

Eat Bitter

March 2023 •Sango

A local construction worker and a Chinese engineer are assigned to build a bank in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, one of the poorest countries in the world. But time is short and resources are scarce, and there are rumours in the countryside that a new civil war is brewing. And as if all this wasn’t bad enough, their relationships to their wives are falling apart. ‘Eat Bitter’ mirrors the existential and mundane problems of the two men, while an unlikely friendship and mutual trust blossoms between them. However, the chaotic microcosm of the construction site also mirrors China’s contradictory role in 21st century Africa, with the bank itself as the ultimate symbol of money, power and illusion. Director duo Pascale Appora-Gnekindy and Ningyi Sun themselves represent each of the two cultures, and their film has a unique eye for the human fallibility and irony of it all, but also for how we can reach each other despite all our many differences.

Look at Life: Top People

January 1960 •English

An overview of high-rise construction activity in London. From the crane operators who build the new sky-scrapers to the tenants who live in the penthouses, this newsreel provides a colorful birds-eye view of London Town.

The Deregistration of the Builders Labourers Federation

January 1992 •English

Chronicles the industrial action leading up to the deregistration of the Builders Labourers Federation.

Secrets of the Empire State Building

December 2019 •English

Les templiers, la démesure des Batisseurs

July 2024 •French

À ciel ouvert

January 2022 •German

Behind the scenes of a large construction site in western Switzerland, we dive into the world of construction where most of the workers are foreigners.

Why Fathers Work

January 1969 •English

Ed Kimble, a structural ironworker, is followed during his workday building a skyscraper.

Druzhba: The Friendship Pipeline

January 2021 •German

"The Pipeline of the Century -- How Soviet Natural Gas Came to the West" by director Matthias Schmidt shows touching personal memories. The production is a treasure trove of material in which previously unpublished visual material about the construction of the century and its builders can be seen. Writer & Director Matthias Schmidt ; A Co-Production by LOOKSfilm and MDR in Cooperation with ARTE

Osmosis Jones

August 2001 •English

A white blood cell policeman, with the help of a cold pill, must stop a deadly virus from destroying the human they live in, Frank.

Sydney White

September 2007 •English

College freshman Sydney White arrives at Southern Atlantic University, determined to pledge her late mother's sorority. Unfortunately, she finds that the sisterhood has changed since her parent's day. Banished to a condemned house, Sydney joins forces with seven outcasts to take over the student government and win equal rights for nerd and noted alike.

If It Don't Fit, Use a Bigger Hammer

March 2002 •German

Frustrated with their lazy new intern, a trio of offbeat builders decide to teach him a lesson with a series of escalating pranks.

Betsy's Wedding

June 1990 •English

Offbeat fashion student Betsy Hopper and her straight-laced investment-banker fiancé Jake Lovell just want an intimate little wedding reception, but Betsy's father Eddie, a Long Island construction contractor, feels so threatened by Jake's rich WASP parents that he blows the ceremony up into a bank-breaking showpiece, sending his wife Lola into a financial panic.

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys

September 2008 •English

Wealthy socialite Charlotte Cartwright and her dear friend Alice Pratt, a working class woman of high ideals, have enjoyed a lasting friendship throughout several decades. Recently, their lives have become mired in turmoil as their adult children’s extramarital affairs, unethical business practices, and a dark secret threaten to derail family fortunes and unravel the lives of all involved. Charlotte and Alice decide to take a breather from it all by making a cross-country road trip in which they rediscover themselves and possibly find a way to save their families from ruin.

Tad, the Lost Explorer, and the Secret of King Midas

March 2017 •Spanish

Tad dreams of becoming an archaeologist traveling the world, uncovering hidden secrets and lost treasure, but his job working construction keeps him daydreaming instead of exploring. The chance of a lifetime comes when he is invited to attend archaeologist Sara Lavrof's presentation of her latest discovery - the papyrus that proves the existence of the Necklace of Midas, the legendary King who turned everything he touched into solid gold.

The Fighting Seabees

January 1944 •English

Construction workers in World War II in the Pacific are needed to build military sites, but the work is dangerous and they doubt the ability of the Navy to protect them. After a series of attacks by the Japanese, something new is tried, Construction Battalions (CBs=Seabees). The new CBs have to both build and be ready to fight.

Bouzouki Strumming

March 1966 •Greek

One day, while Grigoris is working and singing at a construction site, a conductor, Vangelis, and two bouzouki musicians happen to pass by. They listen, enchanted by his limpid voice, and suggest that he becomes a member of their orchestra. Thus, the newly-wed day laborer gets a second job at Mr. Lefteris’ night club. His wife, Marina, soon joins him at the club, and, before long, she too goes on stage, cuts capers and charms everyone. Her success, however, has a negative impact on the couple’s relationship, since Marina’s admirers as well as those of Grigoris’, turn one away from the other.

Neo Tokyo

April 1989 •Japanese

A trilogy of separate stories. In "Labyrinth labyrinthos", a girl and her cat enter a strange world. In "Running Man", a racer takes on the ultimate opponent. In "Construction Cancellation Order", a man must shut down worker robots.

99 Homes

September 2015 •English

After his family is evicted from their home, proud and desperate construction worker Dennis Nash tries to win his home back by striking a deal with the devil and working for Rick Carver, the corrupt real estate broker who evicted him.