THE FRIENDLY FRIDGE PROJECT

A short film about food, dignity, and building something together.

In the summer of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, community fridges began appearing across New York City. These were simple, radical acts of mutual aid: fridges placed on sidewalks outside bodegas or apartment buildings, stocked by neighbors and available to anyone in need — no questions asked, no one watching.

Postmodern Productions was invited to document the creation of one such fridge in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, focusing on the people behind it and the belief that help doesn’t need to come with conditions.

Told through the eyes of Ryan Frank, a Sunset Park-based woodworker commissioned to build a custom enclosure for the fridge, the film explores how craftsmanship itself can be a form of community care. As he builds, we meet the organizers behind the project, including Joie Jager-Hyman and Charlie Hirschhorn, who worked door-to-door to secure a location and rally neighborhood support.

“It was everyone’s fridge from then on.”

“This fridge is a door. A gateway. It’s given me a new way to see this neighborhood I’ve loved for over 10 years.”

Shot handheld on cinema lenses, the film blends vérité footage, thoughtful interviews, and ambient B-roll to create an intimate portrait of generosity. It’s about food insecurity — but also about trust, dignity, and the quiet beauty of people showing up for one another.

From the moment the enclosure went up, the fridge became more than just a place to get groceries — it became a symbol. Of what can happen when you remove the barriers between those who have and those who need. Of what mutual aid looks like in action.

“We wanted to fight food insecurity — but also build a stronger bond within the community.”

The project was made possible thanks to volunteers from the neighborhood and beyond, including members of the Underhill Walls art collective and a large crew of regular contributors who helped fill, maintain, and protect the fridge.