My sister sent me this link to the Yahoo News Interview with Hanson Hosein and Heather Hughes about Independent America – the documentary they created during a two-lane trek across the U.S. to identify communities where mom & pop stores are taking on Big Box America.
Just as we are in search of the ideal community to live and work, where mom and pop stores still outnumber big box strip malls, this husband and wife team of professional journalists made a vow to only frequent independent businesses – no Wal Mart, no Best Western. And just as we hope to stay off the interstate freeways as much as possible, they too were determined to stick to secondary routes.
This 80-minute documentary follows the filmmakers as they travel 13,000 miles through 32 states and interview the hardy souls who fight to remain independent in a land smothered with fast food chains and big box stores.
- View the Independent America movie trailer
- Purchase the Independent America DVD
- Read the Independent America blog
This story hits home as we sold our mom & pop graphics business and are now traveling the U.S. in search of the next big thing in a community that offers superior quality of life.
René just found this link for a website streaming free documentary films and trailers. You have to watch the movies on their site. You can’t download them, but the thought-provoking titles range from the 911 commentary Loose Change to Out-Foxed and various other political, environmental and war-related documentaries.
My sister just sent me this great link to a research topic that was presented by an architecture student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. It is an interesting survey of a dozen or so abandoned big box stores transformed by clever communities after the stores went bust or moved into even bigger mega boxes across town.
Jim, thanks for the blurb about our film. Congrats on your site and on your trip! Though I can’t believe Humboldt County (home to Arcata CA, an independent haven that we featured in our documentary) in search of something better…
Now I wish we had Google Maps and YouTube when we started our blog…Take good care of your dog. It’s a punishing lifestyle for canines!
Wow…what a great looking film. I’m really excited to check it out!