Divide in Concord
World Showcase
The hot button push to move away from the use of bottled water and towards more environmentally sustainable drinking options moves to one of America’s most historic towns in Kris Kaczor’s well meaning, but scattershot examination of a different kind of revolution.
Spurred on by something her grandson told her about the world’s largest garbage drift in the Pacific Ocean and the wastefulness of plastic in general, 80 year old Jean Hill has attempted for years to get the town of Concord, Massachusetts to ban the sale of bottled water. Not getting any younger and with many of her closest supporters feeling stymied by a town council that wants nothing to do with the bill, Jean embarks on what might be her final attempt at making her town a greener place.
Although it’s not doing necessarily anything new with its David vs. Goliath styled advocacy conceit, it’s still shocking to watch sometimes comically loathsome right wingers hide behind convenience as a human right and how “big bottle” can come together as much as an oil company could when they want something squashed (even if the film’s climax can be discerned from a quick Google search). Kaczor handles the film’s human and environmental efforts, but the attempts to tie this battle into the history of the town, the American Revolution, and the teachings of Thoreau are sometimes forced and ill played.
Check out our interview with Divide in Concord director Kris Kaczor here.
Screens
Saturday, April 26th, Scotiabank Theatre 4, 9:30pm
Monday, April 28th, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2, 1:30pm
Saturday, May 3rd, Isabel Bader Theatre, 11:00am
