New England Archives — Quelle Movies

Posted December 14, 2025 Documentaries

Secret Mall Apartment

“So much of what the mall sells us is this performance of a consumer lifestyle. The mall apartment was this opportunity to have this set where we could play out the unrealistic and unattainable fantasies of the mall… You love beautifying things? Well, so do we.” — Adriana Valdez Young

When the Providence Place Mall debuted in 1999, it was a destination for lovers of mall culture. It faced the highway and was easily accessible via a dedicated exit on 95. The mall’s purpose was not to serve its own community. In fact there were no entrances to the mall facing downtown. Instead, the mall was positioned in a way that attracted customers who could arrive, park, shop and eat and leave without seeing any other part of the city. And in turn the city would benefit from the increased business.

In the early 2000s my mom and I would venture out to Providence just to visit the mall. In the time we were there wee wouldn’t see a single other part of the city. That is except for a small stretch along the Woonasquatucket River where we drove past seemingly abandoned factories to get to the mall’s parking garage. The contrast between the city’s crumbling architecture and the shiny new mall always made a bit melancholy. Little did I know that at the time in that area was a thriving artist community protesting the capitalist monstrosity with hidden museums and art installations. And one of those installations would make its way into the mall.

Directed by Jeremy Workman, Secret Mall Apartment chronicles a time in Providence, Rhode Island history when a group of eight artists lived in a makeshift apartment in the mall. The intent wasn’t to get free housing. Rather, the secret apartment was both art installation and protest. The artists observed the unique architecture of the mall, found a void in the space that was inhabitable and mastered the art of going undetected as they built and lived in a unique space all their own. Smuggling in items for the apartment, residing and avoiding getting caught by security was all part of their performance. The secret apartment was also a space for these artists to discuss their plans for public art works and using their art to honor their community as well as victims of terrorist attacks.

“I do really believe that art and aesthetic experiences are good in and of themselves. That they’re not means to anything but that they make life better.” — James Mercer

This fascinating documentary includes archival footage of the experiment, interviews with the artists involved and a history of the mall and the local art scene. The film captures a unique time in the city’s history but more importantly contemplates the purpose of art and the importance of human connection.

Secret Mall Apartment is distributed by Music Box Films and is available on DVD, Blu-ray and Video On Demand.

Posted January 25, 20181 Comment Film Reviews

A Quiet Passion

This post is sponsored by DVD Netflix.

Time Travel Destination: 1840s-1880s
Stations: Literary Biopic, Costume Drama
Conductor: Terence Davies

“Poems are my solace for the eternity which surrounds us all.”

A motion picture about the life about poet Emily Dickinson has never been made until now. How does one make a captivating biopic about a recluse? Director Terence Davies took on the task brilliantly with his feature film A Quiet Passion (2017).

The movie stars Cynthia Nixon as Emily Dickinson, a rebellious poet who forsakes the prospect of love to focus on her art and family. Her world centers around her home in Amherst, MA and as the years progress she retreats further and further into her home sometimes not even venturing down stairs. We watch her progress from a feisty outspoken teenager to a deeply sentient genius who translates emotions and ideas into beautiful poetry.

“My soul is my own.”

The viewer steps into the intimate space of Dickinson’s life and the players who inhabit her world. Her father (Keith Carradine), the stern patriarch who never understood his daughter’s rebellious spirit. Her mother (Joanna Bacon) who retreats more and more from life with each passing day. Then there is her sweet sister Vinnie (Jennifer Ehle) who cares for Emily even when she doesn’t quite understand her motivations. Her brother Austin (Duncan Duff), the pride of the family who loses Emily’s trust when he betrays his wife Susan (Jodhi May), one of Emily’s closest confidantes. And one of the few outsiders able to break through Dickinson’s small world is the Vryling Buffam (Catherine Bailey) whose larger-than-life personality threatens to be contained by societal expectations.

The film wonderfully captures the many aspects of Dickinson’s era: the religiosity, deprivation, isolation, deep brooding, heightened emotions especially sadness and the almost painful simplicity of life and death. Terence Davies read numerous biographies on Emily Dickinson and steeped himself in the era and it shows. The attention to detail is astounding. A replica of Dickinson’s home in Amherst, MA was recreated in a studio in Belgium. Exteriors were shot on location in Amherst. The viewer will feel like they traveled to the era and not just a representation of it. Davies selected Nixon for the role of Emily Dickinson because of her remarkable resemblance to the poet. In one of the scenes of the film we watch as the family members have their portraits taken. Age progression shows the passing of 20+ years. Emma Bell, who plays young Emily, and Cynthia Nixon pose in the style of the famous portrait of Dickinson.

“My life has passed as if in a dream. As if I had never been part of it.”

I connected with this movie on a deeply personal level. As a lonely and angst ridden teenager I clung to writers such as Emily Dickinson, Emily Bronte, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, etc. With Dickinson especially I was drawn by her deep sense of isolation and how desperately she tried to make sense of the world.

Besides the incredible attention to historical accuracy and setting, I love how Davies and his crew imbibe the film with so much color. Many of us think of this era in American history as drab, steeped in sepia. There is so much color and vibrancy in this movie. It makes us understand a bit how overwhelming and heartbreaking beautiful the world was to Dickinson. In addition to the age progression scene, another element that stood out was the Civil War slideshow which featured colorized photos of Lincoln, soldiers, the battlefields, etc.

Catherine Bailey in A Quiet Pasison — Catherine Bailey as Vryling Buffam

Keith Carradine in A Quiet Passion — Keith Carradine as Edward Dickinson

Cynthia Nixon delivers a heartbreakingly beautiful performance as Emily Dickinson. When she uttered these words, I felt like someone had just punched me in my gut:

“For those of us who live minor lives and are deprived of a particular kind of love, we know best how to starve. We deceive ourselves and others. It is the worst kind of lie.”

There are many great performances in this film but I was particularly drawn to Keith Carradine as Edward Dickinson. He perfectly captures exactly what I would have imagined a stern, religious father of the 19th Century to be. I was also drawn by Catherine Bailey whose performance as Vryling Buffam imbues life into the story. I definitely want to see more of her work.

A Quiet Passion (2017) stirs up a lot of emotion. Davies delivers a powerful biopic about an elusive figure whose poetry has transcended many generations.

I rented A Quiet Passion (2017) from DVD Netflix. Click on this link and add it to your queue!