>>PREVIEW
ESCAPE FROM SUBURBIA: BEYOND THE AMERICAN DREAM
DIRECTED BY Gregory Greene
Thursday, May 17
The Plaza
For Toronto-based filmmaker Gregory Greene, his celebrated 2004 documentary The End of Suburbia did not mark the end of his journey through the perilous state of world energy. "This is, in fact, the second part of a trilogy," Greene says of Escape from Suburbia, the much-anticipated followup that will be screened on Thursday at the Plaza Theatre. "I thought it would be kind of interesting to have a funeral for the American dream. So, for the third instalment, we’re thinking The Eulogy of Suburbia."
However, before Greene can look too far ahead, he’s hoping the response to Escape will be as positive as it was for his previous film, as DVD sales for The End of Suburbia have soared and the documentary continues to air on television around the world. "We were very surprised," he admits. "I mean, we were just two guys in a basement making a movie."
While initial aspirations may have been small, the effects have been huge. The picture was a wake-up call about peak oil, how the American way of life was built on cheap energy – and the realization that the world can no longer afford to meet such demands. For the sequel, Greene – who admits that the success of environmentally conscious fare like An Inconvenient Truth helped his team "find their niche" – shifts his focus to the people trying to make a difference right now. Those people who would rather create alternatives than wait and see what a world without oil will look like.
In following three different situations, Greene admits "it’s hard to storyboard where (that) will take you." The characters include a single mom in Toronto who abandoned the business world to dedicate herself to local sustainable initiatives.
One segment that Greene finds especially memorable shows a protest. It was an unplanned shoot, but one the director is thankful he was lucky to capture. It involved residents of California protesting the proposed closure of South Central Community Farm, the largest urban farm in the U.S. located smack dab in the industrial area of south Los Angeles. With Greene figuring that agriculture is one of the absolute keys in relocalization, it’s this kind of passion that will ultimately play an essential part in this escape plan.
The final screening of Escape From Suburbia will take place on Thursday, May 17 at The Plaza theatre at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 at Sunnyside Market and The Arusha Centre (106, 223 — 12 Ave SW, phone 270-3200). Check out the website escapefromsuburbia.com for more information about the film. |
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