The Delicate Art of Parking

Colour, 35 mm
Canada, 2003, 87 min
Section: Forum of Independents

Synopsis

Documentary filmmaker Lonny Goosen is mad as hell. He’s just had his car towed away again! With nearly 3,000 dollars in outstanding tickets, he decides enough is enough and sets out to film a scathing exposé of the corrupt institution of parking enforcement. But everything changes when he stumbles upon Grant Parker, a parking enforcer who, despite constant abuse from the public, finds truth, honour and serenity in the act of ticketing. Grant’s devotion to his work is challenged, however, when his best friend, colleague and personal mentor, Murray Schwartz, is run down by an irate motorist and knocked into a deep coma. The film explains the specific art of parking in the urban traffic jungle, the art of writing parking tickets, of towing away vehicles, and of making successful independent documentaries - all in the best tradition of cinema-verité. A highly enjoyable and rather bizarre mockumentary combining satire, absurd comedy and a Canadian sense of humour.

About the director

Trent Carlson is a Vancouver-based writer/director. He has worked as a television director for many TV shows. Trent has also written and directed numerous short films. His debut feature The Delicate Art of Parking won the Golden Zenith Award for Best Film at the IFF in Montreal, as well as the Best First Feature Award at the Victoria Independent Film Festival. At the Vancouver IFF it received the Runner-up award for Most Popular Canadian Film.