SPECTRAL HOUSES
MALACHI CONNOLLY
Website
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In 1959, with the establishment of the Cape Cod National Seashore the fate of houses - built in the spirit of European modernist architecture - hang in the balance: houses built after 1955 become the property of the park on the death of their owners.
Through the points of view of a few key characters, most notably Ruth Hatch (homeowner with a lifetime lease) and Bill Burke (Park Ranger in charge of cultural affairs), the film reveals the impact of eminent domain, its effect on people whose houses will have to be given to the federal government and, literally, given back to the land.
This website with its opening animation sequence attempts to capture the spirit of the mid-century architecture the film deals with while paying homage to the film credits of Saul and Elaine Bass.