Like most children, I grew up being fascinated by cranes and other large construction equipment.  Maybe it had to do with those mini documentaries that aired in the middle of Sesame Street, I don’t know.  I first heard of the documentary City of Cranes through twitter a couple week ago, but only today had time to actually sit and watch the film, which is available on YouTube in its entirety here.  Unfortunately we’re not allowed to embed the full video here on our site, but it’s worth the extra click.

City of Cranes, directed by Eva Weber gives the viewer a peek into the lives of the inhabitants in small containers floating hundreds of feet in the air guiding tall cranes, often not acknowledged or seen by the people carrying on about their business in the buildings and streets below.  The short film is divided into four chapters, each offering a different aspect of the driver’s life. Eva Weber talks about cities in general and City of Cranes in this short video.

The video posted above is a trailer for The Solitary Life of Cranes, a documentary expanding on the last chapter of City of Cranes.  Below is an excerpt from an interview with Eva Weber by PBS, where she explains the newest film:

We are currently completing a companion piece and follow-up film to City of Cranes. Part city symphony and part visual poem, The Solitary Life of Cranes explores the invisible life of a city, its patterns and hidden secrets, as seen through the eyes of crane drivers working high above its streets. Within the loose structure of a day, starting with the drivers climbing up at dawn and ending with them coming down after a nightshift, the film observes the city as it awakens with a bustle of activity, goes through the lull of midday, endures the manic rush in the evening and calms down again deep into the night. Throughout, the drivers share their thoughts and reflections on London and life in general. The film is an attempt to understand what becomes of the human spirit in such extreme working conditions. It also asks the question: What is the psychological impact of these powerful man-made structures on the men and women who operate them and who spend most of their lives removed from the world they are building?

For more information on City of Cranes click on the image below to visit the official website:

image via www.cityofcranes.com