The Hottest August

Synopsis

The Hottest August is a complex portrait of New York City and its people during August 2017—a month marked by political tension, climate disasters, and economic uncertainty. As rising rents, white nationalist marches, and environmental crises dominate the news, the film captures everyday conversations that reflect collective anxieties and hopes for the future. It asks what the future looks like from where we stand—and whether we’re all standing in the same place.

Directors' Biography

Brett Story is a writer and documentary filmmaker based in Toronto and New York. Her award-winning film The Prison in Twelve Landscapes (2016) screened internationally. She holds a PhD in geography, is a Guggenheim Fellow, and teaches Image Arts at Ryerson University.