Surviving car culture

Film Pick: To Costco and Ikea Without a Car

By Ezra Winton
Art Threat
April 15, 2011

This week’s Friday Film Pick is a zesty little short about surviving without a car, whilst surrounded by cars. To Costco and Ikea Without a Car (Peter Tombrowski, Canada, 2007) was chosen from the Hot Docs online library in anticipation of the upcoming 2011 edition which kicks off in Toronto on April 28th (look for coverage of that festival here on Art Threat). The film’s synopsis:

Peter Tombrowski sets off-on foot-pushing his children’s double jogger and carrying a large backpack from his downtown apartment to shop at suburban big box stores. Set to Antonin Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance in C, this short documentary is both an epic journey and a humorous comment on our car-dependent society.

This short was also chosen to commemorate the launch of a new book on car culture by Bianca Mugyenyi and Yves Engler, Stop Signs: Cars and Capitalism, On the Road to Economic, Social and Ecological Decay (published by Fernwood). To watch the film, follow the link, press play and enjoy!