John Wilson releases feature film The History of Concrete

Filmmaker John Wilson Releases The History of Concrete

Documentarian John Wilson has released his first feature film, The History of Concrete, a documentary following his attempt to document the history of concrete, crimereads.com reported. The project follows his three-season HBO observational series, How To with John Wilson, which wrapped its run exploring everyday human subjects.

A 2015 Tour Short Turned True-Crime Doc

Before directing his new feature, Wilson created a 2015 documentary short entitled Temporary Color. Filmmakers Bill and Turner Ross hired Wilson to help capture David Byrne’s multimedia arena tour, Contemporary Color. Finding he had little work to do on the project, Wilson shifted focus when he noticed Byrne’s tour destinations matched the escape route of two convicts on the lam. The resulting 14-minute short morphed a concert film into a true-crime documentary blending Byrne-ian aesthetics with Wilson’s observational style.

David Byrne Reflects on True Stories

While Wilson explores urban infrastructure on screen, David Byrne continues reflecting on his 1986 comedy film, True Stories, texasmonthly.com reported. Byrne based the fictional Texas town of Virgil on tabloid headlines, populating it with eccentric characters played by actors including John Goodman and Swoosie Kurtz. Scouting locations across the state, Byrne chose Texas for its stark landscapes and wide-open skies that gave his frames the look of a child’s drawing.

Creative High Points and Unconventional Communities

Looking back on the 1986 production, Byrne noted the experience remains a high point in his career. “Making this film was a high point for me. Creatively and personally,” Byrne stated, according to texasmonthly.com. He added that he made lasting friendships with creative people who invented original lives for themselves much like the characters in the film. Byrne spends his time touring behind his recent solo album and preparing for the October release of his book, Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up.