The Pruitt-Igoe Myth tells the story of the transformation of the American city in the decades after World War II, through the lens of the infamous Pruitt-Igoe housing development and the St. Louis residents who called it home. From the director, Chad Freidrichs, “History is a contested space. Arguments become flattened, rather than expanded, available evidence discarded, rather than sought. This is why Pruitt-Igoe matters – why we made this documentary. So much of our collective understanding of cities and government and inequality are tied up in these 33 high-rise buildings, informed by the demolition image. Too much of the context has been overlooked, or willfully ignored, in discussions of public housing, public welfare, and the state of the American city.”

Join us for a special screening of The Pruitt-Igoe Myth followed by a panel and community discussion moderated by David Stoeffler from the Springfield Daily Citizen on October 16th, 2025 at 6:00pm at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.