By John Corrado

The 2024 Hot Docs Film Festival runs from April 25th to May 5th in Toronto

In 2003, a collective of eight artists in Rhode Island stealthily moved into a hidden space within the Providence Place Mall, and lived there undetected for four years. The story of their elaborate ruse is told in director Jeremy Workman’s documentary Secret Mall Apartment, which plays as a fun and enjoyable ode to guerrilla art.

The project was led by Michael Townsend, an artist who specializes in tape art; temporary murals done with masking tape stuck on walls and the sides of buildings. The idea of moving into the mall started as a protest of the shopping centre’s construction, but turned into a years-long effort that included buying furniture from Salvation Army (which had to be snuck in through a back door in the parking garage and dragged up a ladder), and constructing a wall and door for more privacy.

The film is told through a playful mix of their early-2000s digital camera footage, artistic recreations, and talking-head interviews with the artists. By having the artists tell the story in their own words, the film offers insight into how they pulled off living in the mall for so long, as well as their thinking at the time. Was this merely a quirky living arrangement, or an elaborate anti-consumerist art project? And could it even be considered public art, if it was done only for an audience of themselves, and with no real end in sight?

The film carefully ponders these questions, while wisely leaving the answers up to the viewer. It’s easy to watch Workman’s documentary thinking about how this could have easily been the basis for a narrative feature, with its vaguely heist-like elements. It’s simply that good and intriguing of a true story.

Film Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)

Secret Mall Apartment screens as part of the 2024 Hot Docs Film Festival, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.