A feature-length, mixed media journey through the relics and ruins of Abandoned America, directed by Bryan Papciak and Jeff Sias, and coproduced by Scout Productions and Ars Subterranea.

Filming began in December 2004 at the extraordinary Bethlehem Steel site in Pennsylvania. This historic plant stopped its last steel operations in the late 1990s and is now owned by BethWorks, which is planning to redevelop many parts of the complex. In the meantime, some of the buildings are leased by military and other agencies, while the labyrinthine blast furnaces continue to crumble into oblivion. We feel fortunate to get permission to document this site and look forward to revisiting it through our directors' footage shortly.

Below are a few images from our initial shoot. While on location, we were visited by the local Morning Call and the author Tom Vanderbilt, who posted his observations on designobserver.com. Updates on the production will be announced at Handcranked Film and here.

Please note that the Bethlehem Steel site is still partially in use. Should these photos tempt you into a visit, be aware that BethWorks' security actively patrols the complex — parts of which are leased by the US military — and that some of the buildings are alarmed.

 

 

 

Photos by Julia Solis