video i Season 12
#1205 – Original Airdate: Mon, February 19th at 10pm
A powerful documentary highlighting the struggle against corporate America
INDIES UNDER FIRE: THE BATTLE FOR THE AMERICAN BOOKSTORE (Dir. Jacob Bricca)
In the span of just a decade, over half of the nation's independent bookstores vanished. This revealing documentary tells the stories of three such stores fighting for survival. In Capitola, California, a developer's plans to bring Borders to town prompts a fierce debate over the rights of "big box" retailers to locate in a place famous for its small town charm. In Palo Alto, news of the closing of Printers Inc. Bookstore prompts a local citizen to mortgage his house to try to save it. And in Santa Cruz, when a Borders moves in down the street from the town's oldest bookstore, protests and vandalism ensue. This compelling hour-long film follows these stories and raises tough questions about the place of local culture in an increasingly homogenized world. For more about this film check out: indiesunderfire.com.
Filmmaker Bio
Director: Jacob Bricca grew up in Palo Alto, California, and spent much of his youth hanging out at Printers Inc. bookstore. When the owners announced its impending closure in late 1998, he grabbed his video camera and started shooting. Indies Under Fire is the result of six years of research and filming, and is the first documentary to look in depth at the issues surrounding the growth of "super-chain" bookstores.
Producer: Jonathan Crosby is the Producer of Fighter (First Run Films, Weinstein Company), a feature-length documentary which has garnered awards at Newport, Galway, Hamptons and Karlovy Vary International Film Festivals. His short Looking For Sly, has won numerous awards including Best Documentary Short at both the LA International Short Film Festival, and South By Southwest.
