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Carts of Darkness

2008 59 min
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Murray Siple's feature-length documentary follows a group of homeless men who have combined bottle picking with the extreme sport of racing shopping carts down the steep hills of North Vancouver. This subculture shows that street life is much more than the stereotypes portrayed in mainstream media. The film takes a deep look into the lives of the men who race carts, the adversity they face and the appeal of cart racing despite the risk. Shot in high-definition and featuring tracks from Black Mountain, Ladyhawk, Vetiver, Bison, and Alan Boyd of Little Sparta.

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This work deals with mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised.
Carts of Darkness

Details

Murray Siple's feature-length documentary follows a group of homeless men who have combined bottle picking with the extreme sport of racing shopping carts down the steep hills of North Vancouver. This subculture shows that street life is much more than the stereotypes portrayed in mainstream media.

The film takes a deep look into the lives of the men who race carts, the adversity they face and the appeal of cart racing despite the risk. Shot in high-definition and featuring tracks from Black Mountain, Ladyhawk, Vetiver, Bison, and Alan Boyd of Little Sparta.

This work deals with mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised.
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  • writer
    Murray Siple
  • director
    Murray Siple
  • producer
    Tracey Friesen
  • editor
    Michael Brockington
  • director of photography
    Christian Bégin
  • 1st unit cinematographer
    Kevin Shepit
  • 2nd unit cinematographer
    Mike Mckinlay
  • director consultant
    Christian Bégin
    Nathaniel Geary
  • sound recordist
    Paul Vance
  • sound supervisor
    Jamie Mahaffey
  • additional camera operator
    Michael Prangnell
  • additional editing
    Jeremy Petit
  • production assistant
    Peter Blue
    Byron Brisco
    Shin Campos
    Samuel McKinlay
    Shan Powell
    Jana Wiltsey
  • production intern
    Damian Kuehn
  • motion graphics
    Mike Bishop
  • graphic artist
    Elisa Chee
  • researcher
    Paula Sawadsky
  • stills photography
    Scott Pommier
    Murray Siple
  • transcription
    Pamela Pellegrini
  • creative consultant
    Nettie Wild
  • dialogue editor
    Susan Mahaffey
  • re-recording mixer
    Jamie Mahaffey
  • mix facility
    The Mix Room
  • digital film central colorist
    Andrea Chlebak
  • infographics
    Digital Film Central
  • colour correction
    Digital Film Central
  • production coordinator
    Jennifer Roworth
  • technical coordinator
    Wes Machnikowski
  • production supervisor
    Kathryn Lynch
  • marketing manager
    Kay Leung
  • program administrator
    Bruce Hagerman
  • executive producer
    Rina Fraticelli

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Education

Ages 17 to 17
School subjects
Health/Personal Development - Mental Health/Stress/Suicide Health/Personal Development - Substance Use and Abuse/Addiction Media Education - Documentary Film Social Studies - Social Policies and Programs
Before viewing, ask students to consider stereotypes of homeless people. Compare responses after viewing. Initiate debate: is there a legitimate place for the homeless in a healthy society? to what degree are these men free? Is their self-appointed job a valid one? Using various strategies (Thinking Hats, Four Corners, Value Lines), provoke thinking and writing about the ethical and social issues in the film, and how they apply to local communities.
Carts of Darkness
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Home licence (worldwide); Classroom licence (Canada only)

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Institutional licence

The institutional price includes the rights to screen this film in institutional settings and in free public screenings.

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