The trailer for Small Wonders which will make its Toronto Premiere at the 2010 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.
You know those dusty old shops that sell odd goods and services from another era? The stores that are there forever—until suddenly they’re not? Step inside the lives of the singular souls who run them. Beautifully photographed on Super 16mm over 10 years, this warm and thoughtful portrait pulls their precarious lives and relentless optimism into gentle focus. Peter is an ex-Casanova watch repairman operating from the corner of a barbershop. He’s slowly losing his sight and fears growing old. Norman is a dapper photographer with old world values and free advice who has never touched a digital camera. Jae-Gil is a former motorcycle-riding tomboy, now a small hardware store owner surrounded by 12 big box stores. Each defines themselves through their individual enclaves, defiantly resisting the onslaught of chain-store homogenization and preserving our unique urban cultures for just a little longer.