The Housing Film - Johnny Rodger

The Housing Film - Johnny Rodger The Housing Film explores how a century of domestic life has been understood, represented, and debated through the medium of film. Bringing together documentary, propaganda, drama, and feature cinema, this study traces how housing has been both subject and agent of cultural imagination. From early social documentaries such as Housing Problems (1935), to politically charged works like Dispossession: The Great Council Housing Swindle (2017), as well as state-led films including Cumbernauld: Town for Tomorrow (1970), and landmark dramas like Cathy Come Home (1966) and High-Rise (2017), the book reveals how film has shaped—and been shaped by—changing ideas of domestic space and urban living. By examining these interwoven histories, the study defines and proposes a distinct category: ‘the housing film’. In doing so, it offers a critical framework for understanding how representations of housing influence discourse on architecture, policy, and everyday life. Essential reading for architects, urbanists, and those interested in the cultural politics of housing. Author: Johnny Rodger Publisher: Edinburgh University Press Format: Paperback Pages: 248 ISBN: 9781399520348 Publication date: May 2026