The Greening of Southie

About the Project

What happens when you're asked to build the city of tomorrow... today? Set on the storied streets of South Boston, The Greening of Southie is a feature documentary about Boston's first residential green building, and the men and women who set out to construct it. From wheatboard cabinetry to recycled steel, bamboo flooring to dual-flush toilets, The Macallen Building is something different--a leader in the emerging field of environmentally friendly design. But green building has its challenges, and the jobsite has its skeptics. And when things start to go wrong, a young developer has to keep the project from unraveling.

Funny and poignant, The Greening of Southie is a story of bold ideas, new environmentalists, and the future of urban America. Soon to be broadcast on Sundance Channel's "The Green" and available now on DVD, The Greening of Southie is the centerpiece of Earth Week in the Union Halls, a campaign that will bring the film--and the national discussion about green jobs--to workers around the country.

Created by King Corn's Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, The Greening of Southie features innovative time-lapse animation, cinematography by Taylor Gentry, and music by Force Theory.

The documentary's greatest strength lies in its ability to communicate with members of the union construction trades--those who are being entrusted with the job of rebuilding America's infrastructure under the green paradigm. With The Greening of Southie, construction workers can learn from their peers, see the processes and promises of green design in action, and become empowered as environmentalists.

As the Obama administration lobbies to create two million green jobs under its economic and environmental initiatives, we find ourselves in a critical time to engage the labor community in this transition to green collars from blue. The Greening of Southie can contribute meaningfully to the quest for economic and environmental justice by putting energy and momentum behind a new way of building that is ecologically sound, healthier for workers and families, and rewarding of entrepreneurialism.

The Fledgling Fund Impact

The Fledgling Fund was pleased to support “Earth Day in the Union Halls” screening tour, a strategic component of the outreach campaign for The Greening of Southie.  We believe the film and campaign offer a realistic and exciting framework for cities across America to advance the process of "Greening."  The Earth Day campaign brought the film, which offers an inside look at what makes an environmentally-friendly building green, to the union members who will be building the next generation of green buildings. In a sea of problem-focused media, The Greening of Southie offers solutions.