Divine Providence: The Rebirth of an American City

This feature length documentary film tells the story of Providence’s uniqueness from its colonial period through its century of greatness, its decline and continues through the four phases of its rebirth as a Renaissance City. At its core is its treasure house of 18th, 19th and 20th century architecture. In each phase, the film examines the historical and architectural context in which the plans were conceived and realized, and connects each phase to the individuals and agencies that brought it to fruition.

This film evokes the Providence that is emerging, a city built upon the bones of its history, and a city whose ongoing Renaissance is directly connected to its past, its rivers, its industrial heart, and its storehouse of built spaces. The film shows the city as it has grown into itself again and how its current vitality is shaped by its roots in the historical elements that once made it a model industrial city. You will see the city through the eyes of the architects, planners, and developers who shaped it and the historians who have studied and celebrated the city’s remarkable urban fabric.

Director: Salvatore Mancini
Run time: 57min
Release Date: 2019