Pawtucket Rising

Pawtucket Rising is a new documentary film about the unlikely story of the revitalization of the city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Pawtucket was once a burgeoning mill city. It is the home to the Slater Mill, the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Pawtucket’s fortunes fell when the country plummeted into the great depression and it has never fully recovered. When artists could no longer afford the skyrocketing real estate in nearby Providence they were forced to take their business elsewhere. This influx of arts has boosted Pawtucket’s economy. Mayor James E. Doyle recognized that The Arts could be an important catalyst in his city’s revitalization. The city seized the opportunity to invite these small businesses to relocate to Pawtucket. As a result, Pawtucket is now restoring and renovating mill and industrial space that had once sat vacant and decaying. This documentary film shows the history of the past decade revitalization of the city. The city is experiencing its greatest boom in decades. Pawtucket is rising.