Director:  Michael Falcone

Editors:  Michael Falcone & James Culbertson

Genre:  Historical documentry

 

Named after the dramatic view corridor under the Aurora Bridge in Fremont, The Hall of Giants: The Story of Fremont and the Troll is a documentary about the creation and endurance of The Fremont Troll –a sculpture which sits under the bridge’s north end and ranks second only to the Space Needle as a beloved city icon. Through frank interviews, archival footage and rare photographs, the film explores the lives and times of those who produced the Troll, chronicling how public art can help define and revitalize urban spaces. It's also a celebration of Seattle’s scrappy underdog roots, given that this popular tourist attraction was once a dump site which turned into a volunteer-driven and grant-funded art project that cost “less money than the city would spend on a new police car,” as Troll lead artist Steve Badanes states in the film. At its core, the film can be seen as a cautionary tale about the specter of gentrification, where artists and citizenry are pushed out of areas by development, and how neighborhoods and entire cities can grow estranged from the cultural and artistic roots that once established them. It’s an old tale, but it’s one that can surely resonate in these modern times.