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Newcastle Program

The History of Concrete

Directed by John Wilson
United States
2026
101 mins
Unclassified 15+
A hysterical debut and instant classic from the genius behind How To with John Wilson. An unexpected meditation on politics, celebrity, religion and urbanism. Sundance 2026.

After attending a workshop on how to make a Hallmark movie, cult documentarian John Wilson sets out to use the same formula to pitch a film about concrete. Following the huge success of his hit HBO show, Wilson can't understand why financiers don’t want to back his idea? What starts out as an absurd and novel enterprise derails down many rabbit holes – from picking chewing gum off pavements to flashy Kardashian dinners. With genuine empathy, observational humour and boundless curiosity for civic systems, Wilson interviews everyday eccentrics, attends niche conferences, and observes the oddities of New York's streets, showing us how concrete is the foundation we all depend on but never take notice of.

“Wilson, a film-maker from the Nathan Fielder school of meandering, bone-dry observational comedy, is a master of the modern documentary-essay-memoir, with an uncanny eye for the idiosyncratic, unintentionally hilarious and disturbing vignettes hiding in plain sight.”
Adrian Horton, The Guardian
“John Wilson takes the least interesting subject imaginable — the dull gray composite used for sidewalks, overpasses and that great big church in The Brutalist — and crafts what’s likely to be the most entertaining documentary...”
Peter Deburge, Variety
“John Wilson is the Werner Herzog of the mundane, the lo-fi poet laureate of New York City. He’s half puckish prankster, half earnest documentarian, all inquisitive wanderer. Once you tap into his vibe, carefully written and edited to seem stream-of-consciousness, the viewing experience is like the most laconic roller coaster imaginable.”
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter
“Wilson, a film-maker from the Nathan Fielder school of meandering, bone-dry observational comedy, is a master of the modern documentary-essay-memoir, with an uncanny eye for the idiosyncratic, unintentionally hilarious and disturbing vignettes hiding in plain sight.”
Adrian Horton, The Guardian

Tickets

Sat 8 August 2026, 7:45pm
Past Event
Newcastle - Event Cinemas Kotara - Event Cinemas Kotara
Newcastle - Event Cinemas Kotara - Event Cinemas Kotara
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Limited seats are available for patrons requiring access for wheelchairs, low vision and hearing loop. Please contact our ticketing team directly on 1300 733 733 or tickets@sff.org.au to complete your booking, or see our Access & Inclusion page for more information.

  • Year
    2026
  • Classification
    Unclassified 15+
  • Country
    USA
  • Language
    In English
  • Director
    John Wilson
  • Producer
    John Wilson, Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, Allie Viti
  • Editor
    Cori Wapnowska
  • Genre
    Documentary, Environment, Politics, Comedy, History
  • Company Credits
    Australian Distributor: Madman Entertainment
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Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.

We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.

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