Episode 65

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Published on:

5th Oct 2025

*Best of 2025 - Secret Mall Apartment - Director Jeremy Workman

In 2003, eight young Rhode Islanders created a secret apartment in a hidden space inside the Providence Place Mall and lived in it for four years, filming everything along the way. Led by local artist Michael Townsend they snuck in furniture, tapped into the mall’s electricity, and even secretly constructed a brick wall with a locking door, smuggling in over 2 tons of cinderblock. Far more than just a wild prank, the secret apartment became a deeply meaningful place for all its inhabitants – a personal expression of defiance against local gentrification, a boundary-pushing work of public/private art, and finally, a 750 square foot space that sticks it to the man! Director Jeremy Workman (Lily Topples the World, The World Before Your Feet) joins us to talk about Secret Mall Apartment and working with Executive Producer Jessie Eisenberg.

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About the Podcast

Cinemafile
Cinemafile showcases the very best in independent, documentary and foreign films through our conversations with the more than 2,000 filmmakers who made them. Through Cinemafile we will do our best to bring the most interesting and accomplished filmmakers from around the world to your attention.

About your host

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Michael Kaspar

Mike Kaspar is a life-long film fan who has worked as a projectionist at an art house theatre, college radio station general manager as well as a radio show host and producer for over 18 years.