A DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Down the House
Directed by Tricia Murajda and filmed by Pavló Fedorov
Synopsis
Down the House transports the viewer to the town of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Once the epicenter of the U.S. Steel Industry, the steel production in the region helped build the U.S. and win WWI and WWII.
Abandoned and facing economic implosion in the 1980s, the town lost nearly all of its population and its grasp on the American Dream. As former Mayor John Fetterman once described Braddock, "90% of our city is in a landfill somewhere."
From urban farming, revitalization through artistry and mutual aid, the residents of Braddock struggle to survive and thrive, living in the remnants of a more vibrant age and reimagining the next incarnation of the town in the shell of the old.
Technical Details
Shot in Braddock, PA in 2019
Genre: Documentary Feature
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Language: English
Director: Tricia Murajda
DP: Pavló Fedorov
Score: Alex Kuvallini
Edit: Paul Blue
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Trailers
Teaser #1
Teaser #2
Teaser #3
Director’s Statement
Revisiting the sights and memories from my childhood was at once bittersweet and uplifting.
The phrase "down the house" references my grandparents’ home in Braddock, Pennsylvania, the meeting place for multiple generations, which neighbors once described as a familial Grand Central Station. We would all gather “down the house”, the sound of trains and the whistle of the mill the soundtrack to life. Abandoned and facing economic implosion in the 1980s, the town lost nearly all of its population and its grasp on the American Dream, devolving into violence, poverty and decay.
This film is an acknowledgement of what has passed, what remains and the creative drive to build anew in the shell of the old.
Down the House is a love letter to home, heritage and the resilience of the human spirit.
Tricia Murajda - Director
Tricia Murajda is a sociologist, professor and filmmaker who splits time between Pittsburgh and San Francisco, California. The granddaughter of Slavic immigrant steelworkers, she grew up outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Trained as an ethnographer, she merges her research into visual projects. Beginning in 2002, she explored the El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico border, documenting women’s groups addressing violence and femicides. Her photographic work has been exhibited in numerous Bay Area venues as well as with the Global Fund for Women's MAMA: Motherhood Around the Globe project.
Her work often addresses overlooked communities, their social and creative forms of resistance and reinvention. She seeks to provide a platform for stories and unheard voices that is accessible to all.
Her most recent documentary, Down the House, is an exploration of her family’s hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania, once the epicenter of global steel production. Left bankrupt in the 1980’s, residents overcome violence, poverty and political invisibility to reinvent their town.
Pavló Fedorov - Director of Photography
Pavló Fedorov’s passion for film began in early childhood, inspired by the work of directors such as David Lynch and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Born and raised in Ukraine, his family’s international travels led him on a creative path which has included acting, photography, cinematography and directing. His work has taken him to film locales in Cuba, Georgia, Japan, South Korea, Jamaica, Mexico and eventually to living and working in the United States.
Pavló credits his acting education for his approach to the psychology of characters, respecting the complexity of the human experience in his work. With a strong grounding in all aspects of film production, he specializes in cinematography and directing.
When Tricia Murajda first approached Pavló about filming Down the House, the concept was still in its infancy; after numerous discussions and Fedorov’s expressed enthusiasm for the project, it ignited the team to transform the concept to execution.
Pavló was drawn to the potential of the film given the subject matter dealing in abandoned and forgotten places.
Down the House posed an opportunity to use the documentary platform as a chance to contribute to the larger social good of the community.
