Life in a Basket 2003
Distributed by Cinema Guild, 115 West 30th Street, Suite 800, New York, NY 10001; 212-685-6242
Producer n/a
Director n/a
VHS, color, 32 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Sociology, Psychology
Date Entered: 12/02/2005
Reviewed by Beth Traylor, University of Wisconsin Libraries, MilwaukeeFilmed over three days in Los Angeles, this program features candid interviews with homeless men, women and families about their shopping carts and their lives. These carts represent their lives reduced to basic survival level. Each person gives an inventory of what they have in their cart as well as the history, various uses and origins of each item. Their carts contain a variety of things including housing materials, weapons, items that can be sold or traded, and toys provide comfort and a sense of home. The content of each cart is different, but their purpose and needs are the same. The stories of how these people ended up on the streets and what they do for money are woven through the program. In the interviews, they also reveal the different relationships they have developed with other homeless people. Some of them briefly touch on their families.
This documentary alternates quickly between individual interviews, intercut with scenes of homelessness in the city. The interviews would be more effective if they were longer and less choppy.
Life in a Basket would be a good addition to any public or academic library collection. Recommended.