Attention Shoppers

Helene Klodawsky knows what makes us tick. She knows we’re nostalgic and love pop culture, and she’s onto us when it comes to a love of New American architecture.

And shopping.

Proof of Klodawsky’s omniscience can be found in the director’s Malls R Us, a new documentary that rips the lid off the history of the American shopping mall. Her movie traces the evolution of the enclosed shopping center from retail revelation to communal experience, and reveals how we went from casual consumers who liked the convenience of buying stuff from a single destination to people who count malls among life’s essentials. The filmmaker uses new and vintage footage to illustrate the architectural evolution of enclosed malls, and talking-head interviews to reveal our deep love for wide-open spaces where we can buy stuff and eat.

Presented by Downtown Voices Coalition and No Festival Required.