Public Housing
<PERSON> Public Housing, which is set at a Chicago housing project in the mid-1990s, almost seems like a rejoinder to the surprisingly successful <PERSON> documentary Hoop Dreams (1994). Instead of focusing two main young male subjects like Hoop Dreams does, <PERSON>'s documentary does what <PERSON>'s documentaries usually do -- give you a little bit of everything. We get maintenance, crime, endless bureaucracy, perpetually insufficient funding for basic upkeep and infrastructure projects, endless committee meetings where things are promised but rarely delivered, pest extermination, elder care, and education. 61
Despite these challenges, the residents of the project are very relatable, even if their circumstances aren't. At a typically Wisemanian 3+ hours in length, the movie can be a bit of a grind at times. But <PERSON>'s eyes for the smallest details, the kind of insightful details that give you one extra bit of context for what you're seeing, are on full display in this revealing documentary. 794