Look at Life: New Roads for Old

The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream

January 2004 •English

Since World War II North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream. But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge...

From Block to Block

October 2024 •English

A small group of activists take on systemic racism and prejudice in Baltimore's public transportation, battling against the odds to create a brighter future for their community.

Dans les coulisses du métro de Paris

October 2016 •French

The Penny War

December 1985 •Spanish

Drivers of urban public transport in Bogotá do not receive a fixed salary¸ only a percentage per passenger picked up. Through the testimony of two champions of this daily war¸ an unpleasant daily life is shown¸ distressing and dangerous¸ both for the users and for the drivers themselves los and from which the only ones who benefit are the great transport entrepreneurs¸ true architects of a bloody war in which the State is hardly an indolent spectator.

Soviet Bus Stops

May 2024 •English

“There’s a bus stop I want to photograph.” This may sound like a parody of an esoteric festival film, but Canadian Christopher Herwig’s photography project is entirely in earnest, and likely you will be won over by his passion for this unusual subject within the first five minutes. Soviet architecture of the 1960s and 70s was by and large utilitarian, regimented, and mass-produced. Yet the bus stops Herwig discovers on his journeys criss-crossing the vast former Soviet Bloc are something else entirely: whimsical, eccentric, flamboyantly artistic, audacious, colourful. They speak of individualism and locality, concepts anathema to the Communist doctrine. Herwig wants to know how this came to pass and tracks down some of the original unsung designers, but above all he wants to capture these exceptional roadside way stations on film before they disappear.

The End Of The Line: Rochester's Subway

May 1995 •English

"The End of the Line - Rochester's Subway" tells the little-known story of the rail line that operated in a former section of the Erie Canal from 1927 until its abandonment in 1956. Produced in 1994 by filmmakers Fredrick Armstrong and James P. Harte, the forty-five minute documentary recounts the tale of an American city's bumpy ride through the Twentieth Century, from the perspective of a little engine that could, but didn't. The film has since been rereleased (2005) and now contains the main feature with special portions that were added as part of the rereleased version. These include a look at the only surviving subway car from the lines and a Phantom tun through the tunnels in their abandoned state, among others, for a total of 90 minutes of unique and well preserved historical information.

The Seattle-Tacoma Interurban Railway

January 1996 •English

This rich, historical documentary captures the story of the high-speed, electric transit system that sparked the growth and development of Puget Sound's twin cities during the first quarter of the 20th century.

Off the Rails

November 2016 •English

The remarkable true story of Darius McCollum, a man with Asperger's syndrome whose overwhelming love of transit has landed him in jail 32 times for the criminal impersonation of NYC subway drivers, conductors, token booth clerks, and track repairmen.

Snow

January 1963 •English

Comprising train and track footage quickly shot just before a heavy winter's snowfall was melting, the multi-award-winning classic that emerged from the cutting-room compresses British Rail's dedication to blizzard-battling into a thrilling eight-minute montage cut to music. Tough-as-boots workers struggling to keep the line clear are counterpointed with passengers' buffet-car comforts.

T-rail

Invalid date •Japanese

Sanyo Electric Tramway carried 586 million people through Shimonoseki City over the 45 years of operation, from 1926 to 1971. Based on colour footage and photographs taken by former city employee Seiichiro Tomura using an 8 mm camera on the last day of operation, and featuring rare audio recordings of the train interior and the farewell ceremony, this documentary is a nostalgic look at the history of the city.

A Bus - For Us

January 1972 •English

After repeated attempts to obtain service from the public transportation authorities, these suburban Ottawa residents finally decided to do it themselves.

Easy Rider

January 2006 •Dutch

A young man in a tram is asking a bit too much from a stranger.

Od Karolinky ke Sputniku

January 1973 •Czech

Dude, Where's My Bus?

November 2024 •English

Filmmaker Gio Petti takes an in-depth look at the city's troublesome transit system in his documentary, Dude, Where's My Bus?. His nearly 2 year-long independent investigation delves into the frustrations of daily commuters in Ottawa and more deeply explores the systemic issues plaguing OC Transpo and their effects on the community. Beginning in the South End Suburbs of Ottawa, Dude, Where's My Bus? peels back layers leading to a broader investigation into issues plaguing the once model transit system. From late buses in neglected areas of the city, sprawl and the greenbelt, to the ever more controversial Confederation Line and the P3 system that built it, Petti aims to explore the impact of policy missteps and broken promises on Ottawa's transit users, with an optimistic look to the future.

MBTA Ashmont - Mattapan Line: Traction Volume One

January 2023 •English

The Ashmont-Mattapan High Speed Line operates 2.6 miles of track from Ashmont Station to Mattapan Station just south of Boston. We capture this neat little commuter operation in the state of Massachusetts. They operate with all PCC trolley cars! This operation offers a vital link to commuters to get to Boston easily from the suburbs of Boston! It is a landlocked line that connects with the Red Line at Ashmont Station! Filmed in 2022 & 2023 at 7 of the 8 stations.

No Measure of Health

Invalid date •English

No Measure of Health profiles Kyle Magee, an anti-advertising activist from Melbourne, Australia, who for the past 10 years has been going out into public spaces and covering over for-profit advertising in various ways. The film is a snapshot of his latest approach, which is to black-out advertising panels in protest of the way the media system, which is funded by advertising, is dominated by for-profit interests that have taken over public spaces and discourse. Kyle’s view is that real democracy requires a democratic media system, not one funded and controlled by the rich. As this film follows Kyle on a regular day of action, he reflects on fatherhood, democracy, what drives the protest, and his struggle with depression, as we learn that “it is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

All Lines

January 1932 •Japanese

This was a news film with elements of reenactment. From December 1927 to 1932, 2,000 bus and train drivers were fired, provoking a strike. This film was edited out of footage shot from that strike over a long period.

Inside Grand Central

March 2006 •English

In the heart of New York City stands Grand Central Terminal. Explore the magnificent secrets of this iconic landmark as we take you inside the heart, soul and amazing engineering of this superstructure. From railroad cars to rush hours, we unlock the colorful tales of its past, present and future.

Alibi

March 1951 •Czech

A Way We Go

December 2017 •English

Transport is a city’s living, beating soul, as lovingly depicted in A Way We Go, a documentary feature by Jacqui Hicks. With an unconventional format emphasising the wisdom and emotions of everyday people, it captures a bubbling flow of ideas and images with a vivid dash of humanistic humour.