''Carts of Darkness'' is a 2008

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

by Murray Siple about a group of

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

men in the city of North Vancouver, who use

shopping cart A shopping cart (American English), trolley (British English, Australian English), or buggy (Southern American English, Appalachian English), also known by a variety of other names, is a wheeled cart supplied by a shop or store, especially ...

s to collect bottles and cans to return for money and also race down the city's steep slope for thrills. 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. Siple, a former director of

extreme sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...

videos and an avid skateboarder and snowboarder, became a

paraplegic Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural ...

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.

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 The Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is the largest documentary festival in North America. The event takes place annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 27th edition of the festival took place online throughout May and June ...

. 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.

References

External links

*
Watch ''Carts of Darkness'' at NFB.ca
* {{YouTube, zi-f_J6hV-g, ''Carts of Darkness'' 2008 films Documentary films about people with disabilities National Film Board of Canada documentaries North Vancouver (city) 2008 documentary films Documentary films about homelessness in Canada Recycling in Canada 2000s English-language films 2000s Canadian films English-language Canadian films Documentary films about Vancouver

Reception

See also

References

External links