Scrappers
Sunday, April 17, 2011, 6 p.m.
Buckman Performing Arts Center
60 Perkins Extd.
Memphis, TN 38117
901-537-1483 or 901-537-1486
Buckman Arts Center in partnership with On Location Memphis presents the Southern Circuit’s Tour of Independent Film Makers’ Scrappers. This award-winning documentary chronicles Chicago’s scrap metal scavengers as they struggle to eke out a living amidst the industry-impacting globalization, financial crisis, undocumented immigrants and scrap metal theft. Brian Ashby and Ben Kolak will be on hand to answer questions with moderator, Jon Sparks. Click here to see a trailer. Tickets are $8 each and may be purchased by clicking here or at the door.
SYNOPSIS:
Scrappers follows two Chicago families who make ends meet using brains, brawn, and batteredpickup trucks. Shot in vérité style, the film focuses on work: finding metals; raising children;understanding the city. The film questions popular notions of poverty, race relations, andrecycling and examines dreams of personal self-sufficiency and urban sustainability.Arriving from Honduras, Oscar found scrapping more enriching than other occupations open toundocumented immigrants. He searches alleys 14 hours a day to support his undocumentedwife and American-born son. Yet without a driver’s license or insurance, Oscar’s trucks breakdown or disappear to the impound lot. Police run-ins leave him conflicted over which might bethe lesser of two evils, deportation or remaining trapped in the land of opportunity.Otis, age 73 and proud father of 12, learned scrapping over 40 years ago. With help from histhird wife and her son, he searches out metal from appliances and garages, enabling them toescape a decrepit public housing project. Even in the face of slumlords and brain surgery,Otis’ wisdom and hustle light the way towards stability. But when the financial collapse causesmetal prices to plummet, he faces near insurmountable obstacles to starting over.Seasoned metal trader Mike explains the work of informal scrap laborers in a global context.Scrappers tackles the geography of a still-segregated city, the hidden lives of undocumentedimmigrants, and the complex economics of recycling through an examination of daily life. Thestory is propelled by Chicago musician Frank Rosaly’s percussive score.
LINKS:
Scrappers The Movie Official Website