Homeless Men: Bottle Picking and Cart Racing
(63 votes, average: 4.49 out of 5)
Murray Siple’s feature-length documentary follows a group of homeless men in Canada who have combined bottle picking with the extreme sport of racing shopping carts down the steep hills of North Vancouver. This subculture depicts street life as much more than the stereotypes portrayed in mainstream media. The film takes a deep look into the lives of the men who race carts, the adversity they face and the appeal of cart racing despite the risk. Shot in high-definition and featuring tracks from Black Mountain, Ladyhawk, Vetiver, Bison, and Alan Boyd of Little Sparta. I think ok, this sport is risky, but probably it’s still better then just drinking alcohol all day long. Maybe just a matter of time until Red Bull comes and sponsors one of them 
Carts of Darkness
Murray Siple, 2008, 59 min 27 s
Thanks a lot to Laurence from nfb.ca who recommendet this film to me!
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Ron Lilly
thank you.enjoyed the film very much.interesting to see another way of life.well done.
February 28th, 2009 at 1:51 pmKaren Colville
I am inspired by this film’s brilliance in story telling about these lives Carts of Darkness Murray Stiple gives a more meaningful insight with perspective more than his own experience the guys he befriends they look out for one another in some senses what they are doing this are decent men human beings and have challenges in society also in another sense have freedom from the trappings of society and expectations placed on them.Mainly that their lives account for something more than mainstream society can say in present times this is the way to live as they are causing society no harm and cleaning up the environment even cooking for one another.It made me laugh and cry the audacity of it and the parallels of freedom and that people can experience in experiencing loss and changes in life.There was one spot in the film where the elderly bottle collector uses his earnings to buy and care for plants and what he says about riches.It is true you are fortunate you have friends that are with you through good and bad times. I have struggled with challenges and disability(dis ABILITY) issues with advocacy this film is an eye opener it is exciting and scary at the same time and an excellent film about humanity.We learn from their stories in our changing society.
March 1st, 2009 at 5:25 pmLaurence Miall
Great to see our film here and glad you enjoyed it.
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:28 amAndrew Stokes
Awesome. You see them around but you never get into their world like this. Not a lot different from you and me heh? Great film making, I watch a lot of documentary’s and this is a GOOD one! Enjoy.
March 6th, 2009 at 5:39 amMatt
Superb stuff. I’d recommend this to anyone! Good work and best wishes to all involved.
April 6th, 2009 at 4:34 pmmicke
I just wanna say this is cool but in sweden we just get paid for plasticbottle and aluminium can thats bull
June 9th, 2009 at 6:14 amPeace Mr mind
Patrick Wheelhouse
Wow, what a great documentary, would love to meet those guys. You did a wonderful job.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:54 amHempo
Brilliant doc man, I just wish it was longer………well done!
July 15th, 2009 at 9:35 amNiece
I absolutely enjoyed this documentary. I’m an advid documentary watcher and I just happened to stumble upon this online and I am so glad I did!!
August 15th, 2009 at 1:33 amNast
You my sir are the best
September 16th, 2009 at 6:27 amBarbara
Excellent insight into a world to which most of us fear even looking because a lack of understanding.
September 17th, 2009 at 12:49 amobeth
Wow…thank you. This films has shown me a side of life that I would have never been exposed to except for the creative curiosty of a film maker like yourself. Beautifully filmed, narrated and edited. I’m in awe. Like you I was involved in a horribly violent car crash that killed my husband and nearly killed me. I have some of the same nerve damage that you and your subjects have. It was truly inspiring to see you rise above that trauma. Keep making films and share your passion. I am
September 20th, 2009 at 4:47 pmmotivated by your brilliance. Again, thank you.
Dustin
Great film! I have worked in a recycling depot in a northern Canadian town with harsh winters. These guys do a real good service of cleaning up bottles and suprisingly alot of other garbage as well. Most of these guys are decent men with a rough exterior to deal with a rough life. I to was allowed to see were they live in my town as it is normally a secret as vandals will destroy their stuff or steal it all. During my time at the depot as the manager at least 2 “binners” I knew died of complications that normal people would just get treatment for. People looked down on these guys and girls without even knowing a thing about them. I really took a liking to this bunch, such determination, such generousity, such characters!
November 17th, 2009 at 1:47 amBob Prentice
I was touched quite deeply. I have a whole new respect for people that who do not have what I have. Everyone should watch this doc. and let it impact them.
Thank you
December 8th, 2009 at 10:58 pmAmy
Keep making documentaries. Amazing job. Thank you.
December 26th, 2009 at 9:07 amJoshua Baker
Phenomenal film. I am inspired, touched, and thankful. The lens captures some important lives that would not have been shared otherwise. Keep up the good work.
February 11th, 2010 at 2:45 pmJack Bureau
Wow!! very good film, good people…Thanks
March 9th, 2010 at 10:55 amFred Robitaille
This documentary is great, living in north vancouver in the parkgate village area it immersed me into a different perspective of the area that i had never really seen or heard of before!
March 10th, 2010 at 2:37 pmProps to murray siple!
byron Price
Murray Stiple-You did good. I hope this was the beginning of a creative career for future endeavours into the essence of the human being. It took guts to expose yourself and your vulnerability into a world you did not understand at first. The bottle pickers in the interview had great personalities that were developed throughout the video. I truly liked the wide spectrum and the heart that came through with passion, respect and humour. The touch of your snowboarding life and the shopping cart- with you in it coming down the hill- a brilliant touch of creativity.
May 16th, 2010 at 3:39 pmmichael
Not sure what your boarding films were up to ten years back but that was awesome Keep it up Murry…. your sick with it!
May 25th, 2010 at 6:07 pmDoc_aholic
Hey Murray !
Your documentary was outstanding, profound and really evoked strong emotions, up, down, and all around. And I am a fellow artist and have always followed the rule that good art is not what it looks like mores so how it makes you feel. Your film is so close to you it sincerely portraits your suffering through their suffering like the demons they experience are in juxtaposition with yours, different labels but their still demons. I am an artist and bi-polar and have self-medicated most of my life, did a 5yr stretch in prison, went back a couple times and the circle Fergie talks about how vicious the cycle is like our planet orbits the sun that circle that can’t be broken without one destroying the other. I have done extensive six month inpatient therapy, AA, NA self help groups I have all the ubiquitous tools my belt will carry and still I crawl away, learn to walk, start running and wham fall flat on my face and repeat steps 1,2,3 (perpetual)?
So I can identify with your subjects, whole heartedly, and the funny thing is most of them don’t make excuses they man right up to their sh*t.
Not like most the snooty “God fearing” person that looks down their nose at you and them, waving a bible in your face trying to explain how God will save the world! I Thought Jesus died for our sins already so what’s everyone so worried about. But I understand how you mentioned this category of lifestyle type person makes you feel welcome and at ease, you never feel like your on display for someone to condemn. I really look forward to more of your work. And I bet there are thousands more that feel the same way. I found your Doc on an amazing free site called topdocumentaryfilms.com they have thousands!
Take care Murray —— !!!
August 24th, 2010 at 6:40 amJason Stephens
Lindsay, Ont Canada
jaymann1973@live.com