Before the Bulldozers

Before the Bulldozers is an audio and augmented reality journey exploring the history of the redevelopment of the Southwest neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Using GPS, this Walking Cinema app guides you from site to site through D.C.’s Southwest Neighborhood, telling the story of the country’s first large-scale urban renewal project—a project that uprooted 23,000 people and knocked down nearly 5,000 buildings to create an entirely new neighborhood. If you can’t make it to Washington, we offer an immersive 360 video version of the walk.

  • Michael Epstein
    Director
  • Cleavon Smith
    Writer
  • Elissa Mardiney
    Producer
  • Kimberley Schraf
    Key Cast
    "Chloethiel"
  • Jefferson Russell
    Key Cast
    "Joseph Owen Curtis"
  • Shannon Dorsey
    Key Cast
    "Imani"
  • Andrea Jones
    Key Collaborators
  • Project Type:
    Installation, Interactive Film, 360 Video, Augmented Reality
  • Genres:
    History, Audio Drama, Documentary, Historical Fiction
  • Runtime:
    58 minutes 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 19, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    198,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Michael Epstein

Michael is a screenwriter, transmedia director, and expert in place-based storytelling. He co-wrote, directed, and executive produced the story.

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Director Statement

Walking Cinema is proud to announce the launch of our newest audio and augmented reality walking tour: Before the Bulldozers. Created in partnership with the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, Before the Bulldozers is a new app-based walking tour that leads audiences through historic Southwest Washington, D.C. and the story of its turbulent redevelopment in the 1950’s and 60’s.

For those of you who have followed our work over the years, this project picks up on our interest in telling challenging, nuanced stories of racial justice in urban neighborhoods. The project is a new direction for us in the sense that it was written as a walkable radio drama, with a script by myself and playwright Cleavon Smith. The acting and community participation in the project also went to a new level in this one.

From a tech angle, Before the Bulldozers expands our use of augmented reality with stunning motion graphics layered on existing signage, murals, and streetscapes in Southwest. We also made it easier to experience the tour from anywhere with a 360 video/AR version of the story.