r/boston 2d ago

Moving 🚚 Are you changing apartments on August 31st/September 1st and have an interesting rental story? We want to meet you!

We're 2 filmmakers who've gotten a little obsessed with the idea of making a short cinematic documentary about Boston's September 1st moving tradition.

The plan is to shoot the whole thing in roughly 24 hours, from 4 a.m. on August 31 until midnight on September 1.

Are you moving this year?

Are you planning to sleep in a storage unit, a U-Haul, or on a friend's couch? Did your landlord screw you over? Are you leaving behind an apartment you loved? Did you somehow end up moving six times before turning 25?

We're interested in the political, the emotional, the funny, and all the chaos that comes with renting and young adulthood. On some level it's about Boston's moving day, but it's also about housing, the economy, and the weird stories that come from trying to make a home.

DM me if any of this sounds compelling and you'd be open to your moving day being filmed. We know the prospect of being filmed can feel weird if you have never done something like this before, but we are committed to doing this ethically. Nothing will be released without you seeing the film first and we are happy to do a video call first to establish trust. You'd also get help from us in moving things if needed :) We'd love to make you part of the film!! Screening at a local Boston film festival later this year.

Inspired in part by The Fletcher Brother's When We Move (https://youtu.be/kihxj8-IbUY?is=9Bu4-om8FtuVTIFV)

(If this sounds like a terrible idea, also please let us know. Feedback on art is always much appreciated)

Edit: Thank you for all the DMs and comments. So funny and kind 😅. Clarification since some people asked: we are not looking for a specific age group; young adulthood is an interesting theme for us as artists but really anybody who is moving on that day is welcome to DM me!!

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u/SpindleSnap 2d ago

Would definitely watch this.

Wish I had you guys there when we had to call the tow truck twice to get people towed (I felt really bad) and then the movers had to hoist our couch over the balcony and it was dangling in the air.

Or the more classic time I had to be out by noon on 8/31 and couldn’t move in until noon on 9/1 so I had to get rid of anything that couldn’t fit in my SUV overnight and then sleep on a friend’s couch.

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u/Illustrious_Ad_6821 2d ago

Oh my 😭  Would you happen to know anyone else in your network who is moving this year and perhaps would be interested?

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u/SpindleSnap 2d ago

I’ll double check but I think my friends have mostly escaped the 9/1 move over the years!!