Carts of Darkness

Last updated
Carts of Darkness
Directed by Murray Siple
Written byMurray Siple
Produced by Tracey Friesen
Cinematography Christian Bégin
Edited byMichael Brockington
Production
company
Release date
2008
CountryCanada

Carts of Darkness is a 2008 National Film Board of Canada documentary film by Murray Siple about a group of homeless men in the city of North Vancouver, who use shopping carts to collect bottles and cans to return for money and also race down the city's steep slope for thrills. [1]

Contents

The subjects in the film control the carts using only their weight and one foot, during descents that cross intersections, with top speeds claimed to be as high as 70 km/h. [2]

Siple, a former director of extreme sports videos and an avid skateboarder and snowboarder, became a paraplegic after a car accident in 1996. His first film after his accident, Carts of Darkness allowed the filmmaker to regain the excitement he had experienced with extreme sports and to relate to a fellow group of outsiders. [1]

Reception

Carts of Darkness was shown at public screenings in Vancouver and Victoria, with the film's subjects in attendance. It was also selected for the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. [3] The film received the Leo Award for Best Documentary Program in the Nature/ Environment/Adventure/Science/Technology category as well as the award for best documentary over 30 minutes at the Picture This Film Festival in Calgary. [4]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Pablo, Carlito (April 24, 2008). "Intimate lessons on Vancouver's streets". Georgia Straight . Vancouver Free Press. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
  2. Monk, Katherine (February 22, 2008). "Carts of Darkness a socially-probing thrill ride". Canwest News Service . Vancouver. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  3. Chua, June (May 27, 2008). "Gonzo Canadian filmmaker Murray Siple". rabble.ca . Retrieved 7 January 2010.
  4. "Carts of Darkness". Collection. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 7 January 2010.