Ponte Tower || Short Documentary

Originally built in 1975 as a monument to luxury, Ponte Tower in Johannesburg, South Africa, housed many of the city's wealthiest citizens and featured three-storey apartments, retails units, and a jacuzzi on the roof. However, over the last 30 years the moneyed classes have moved away from the area, causing the building to fall into disrepair and become a dirty and dangerous place to live. Instead of an indoor ski slope at the center of the 54-storey cylindrical building, there's now just a three-storey pile of rubbish. This short documentary by director Philip Bloom gives us a closer look at the building's history and its its current inhabitants, who now see their home as cheap, and most importantly, safe for the first time in more than three decades. 

Ponte Tower from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.