Ode to a Flea Market Economy

Dubbed "A eulogy for shoppers by shoppers", Fish Kill Flea, which has its world premiere at this year's South by Southwest Festival, is a fascinating little documentary about the mauling of a mall, and the decay of the American dream. The once thriving Dutchess mall in Fishkill, New York closed its doors in the early 90s, a victim of the mega-mall and superstore phenomenon that has been spreading like cancer across this country in recent years. The dilapidated structure became home to a large flea market, where vendors offered everything from old camera equipment, slot machines, junk jewelry, and even the odd bit of Nazi memorabilia. Shot mostly cinema vérité style, the film does a wonderful job at capturing the last throes of a subculture that is nearly extinct thanks to the rise of eBay and other virtual flea markets. Full disclosure: the talented trio that created this film -- Brian Cassidy, Aaron (Cinephiliac) Hillis, and Jennifer Loeber -- are all friends of Filmbrain, so naturally I'm a bit biased. However, this truly DIY project, shot on a shoestring budget over a period of about six months, has a markedly un-amateurish quality to it, both in its visual aesthetic (Jennifer and Brian are both professional photographers) as well as its unintrusive approach to the subject, which in the wrong hands could easily play out like a bit of patronizing hipster posturing. All three are quite passionate about documentary film (Aaron and I have had a few heated debates on the subject), and in an age where video docs are churned out at a seemingly ever-increasing rate, they've skillfully managed to make Fish Kill Flea a genuine standout in a crowded genre. With an almost Marxist gaze, yet devoid of commentary or editorializing, Fish Kill Flea paints a depressing but honest portrait of the cannibalistic nature of a market based economy. If you're anywhere near Austin, Tehas this weekend, be sure to check out the premiere on Saturday 10 March @ 4:30 at the Alamo Lamar 1. Complete screening information here. For those in the New York area, be sure to check out Jennifer Loeber's photographs from the film, which will be on display from March 13-24 at the Humble Arts Foundation's 'group show' at the New Century Artists gallery, 530 West 25th St., Suite 406.

Comments

[Karsten]

Hey Filmbrain,

I'm intrigued. Can't wait to see it... when it opens in Norway. Sure, they must've struck distribution deals for tiny european countries already, right? Being in Berlin and everything. Ahem. So, hidden behind my obvious sufferings from living-in-a-small-country syndrome, I'd like to express my interest in seeing Fish Kill Flea, when time offers me a chance. For now... I'll just quietly put out my congrats to Mr. Cinephiliac and those two others, for being selected for SXSW, and having made a film that, with Filmbrain's written endorsement, hereby can be labeled something to look forward to.

[Maya]

Aaron: I was enjoying your film until 20 minutes in when the screener froze. I tried to get it to track past the freeze point four or five times before giving up. I hope someday I get to see the whole thing because I was amused by the portrait of this flea culture community. Not only did I appreciate how relaxed your subjects were and the candor with which you sketched them; but, often, there were singular images that highlighted the photographer aesthetic and emphasized composition. An abandoned doll's head in the barren limbs of a tree. A woman sitting in front of a tapestry of galloping horses. Detritus rendered poignant for being captured in its ephemerality.

I hope the Austin screening is a big success!! Congratulations. Bring the film to San Francisco so I can see it in its entirety.

[Sujewa]

re: "the cannibalistic nature of a market based economy"

but isn't that a good thing, being able to sell & re-sell stuff? why is that depressing? maybe it just appears so in this doc due to how the filmmakers have presented the situation. anyway, looking forward to seeing it.

- sujewa
http://www.wilddiner.com/

[colinr0380]

I don't know if I'm right about this but I think what Filmbrain meant about the 'cannibalistic nature of a market based economy' was that these cultures of flea markets are getting co-opted by places by e-bay, taking little 'stand alone' events that would occur in places all over a country that have instead gone online, thereby destroying the communities in the real world that inspired e-bay in the first place.

I'm not completely against e-bay, even though I've never used it, since it is a world-wide auction site, but I just wish the real world and internet based businesses could co-exist - rather than many people (and people who would run stalls in flea markets) choosing just to use e-bay to sell their wares because it is easier, faster and makes more money!

It destroys the sense of community (I remember as a kid being taken by my parents every Sunday to our local flea market and finding the most amazing things).

It is that sense of e-bay beating the flea markets at their own game which might have inspired the cannibalising comment. Perhaps e-bay itself might say they were an 'evolution', which makes it sound better, but still it is one form being superceded by another.

Of course then you get all sorts of vested interests trying to push events in the direction of their choosing. For example here in Britain we are currently getting lots of reports on the news that we are going to become a cashless society - that might happen, but there are people actively trying to kill off cheques and paper money within the next decade. Mostly people and organisations with the vested interest to get rid of them! For someone like me, who has reservations about doing on-line money interactions this is a worrying development - or 'evolution'!