Carts of Darkness

Murray Siple's 2008 Canadian documentary follows homeless men in North Vancouver who make their living picking bottles. With their loaded shopping carts they have invented a kind of racing down steep hills; speed, danger and competition are the one area of pleasure in their lives. The film describes this subculture without pity and without celebration. Siple's own story enters the film: a director who used to make extreme sports films, he was paralysed in a car accident and uses a wheelchair. The meeting between his relationship with speed and theirs keeps the documentary from being mere observation. It was produced by the National Film Board of Canada and released free online. Who it's for: viewers interested in Canadian documentary and in stories of homelessness and subculture. Who it's not for: anyone troubled by alcohol dependency and dangerous behaviour appearing to be celebrated, or wanting a structured narrative.