Reconstructing Richmond
Reconstructing Richmond is a documentary about the direction of this city and the crossroads its leaders face amidst national turmoil. It follows practitioners doing the work of regenerative development from the ground up, and asks what it takes to close the distance between the visions and realities of social change.
Why This Film Matters Now
In 2026, the United States marks its 250th anniversary. At this milestone moment, Americans are asking fundamental questions about our history, our identity, and our future.
Richmond has lived inside those questions longer and more honestly than almost any other American city. What's taking shape here may light pathways for the country to follow.
Join the Movement
Reconstructing Richmond is more than a documentary — it's a movement. It's about culture, community, repair, and reconstruction in real time. Join our email list and follow the project to get on-the-ground updates, invitations to community gatherings, and ways to be part of the work as it unfolds.
from the filmmakers
Producers Patrick Mamou and Mike Rabin of the 1865 Media team and Creative Producer Loria King share why this documentary matters right now.
Campaign Launch
Recap from the First Fridays launch of the Reconstructing Richmond crowdfunding campaign in historic Jackson Ward.
building community at rest fest
Recap from the Reconstructing Richmond team’s time at Rest Fest, Richmond's pre-eminent alcohol-free wellness festival at Dogwood Dell and the Carillon Lawn.
filming elegba folklore society
This past summer before Juneteenth, the Reconstructing Richmond team filmed the Elegba Folklore Society’s interactive tour, In the Beginning…Virginia, Along the Trail of Enslaved Africans.
Through ceremony, music, and historical interpretation, the experience begins on the south shores of the James River, through the cobblestoned streets of Shockoe before landing at the African Burial Grounds. The moment held both gravity and connection: to those being remembered, to the land, and to one another.