Survival Without Rent

Elana Meyers, Katie Heiserman / United States / 2025 / International Premiere / 21 min.

synopsis

During the 1980s, there were hundreds of abandoned houses in New York that their owners were unable to maintain. They were taken over by squatters, who used their own hands to build homes, but also a utopian community, based on anti-capitalist principles. Archival footage and testimonies map their story, until their forced eviction in the 1990s.

“Survival without rent: This is a book to help people take back homes that have been taken away from them by government and business.”

biography

Katie Heiserman is an American filmmaker and historian who focuses on overlooked historical events and the revival of archival materials.

Elena Meyers is a documentary film editor. Both are based in New York. Survival Without Rent (2025) is their first joint film, and Meyers’ directorial debut.