Dear Folks, I just saw "Blue Vinyl" at the Seattle Jewish Film Festival this Sunday, and it's a must see. It's on HBO this Sunday (no distributers yet) after "Six Feet Under," which means it's on around 10 p.m. on the East Coast. I think it might be on around 1 a.m. on the West Coast (i.e. Monday a.m.), but double check HBO's schedules.
Why is it a must see? Here's the documentary's blip from HBO. Long Island filmmaker and cancer survivor Judith Helfand is not one to look the other way when it comes to potentially deadly toxins. So when her parents re-sided their home using vinyl siding, Helfand decides to investigate the potential toxicity of the seemingly harmless material. This documentary provides a light, colorful take on a serious subject as Helfand--armed with a camera and a chunk of her parents' blue siding--undertakes a journey from Louisiana and San Francisco to Venice, Italy, to find the truth behind the potential hazards of vinyl's production, use, and disposal. ------------ I'd add that it is funny, but it embraces epidemiologists' testimony, shills from the vinyl industry (who look amazingly plastic), the judicial system in Italy and Louisiana, and the American public's usual ability to avoid knowledge of their actions. It's a nice cradle to grave exploration of what we live amongst and it's also an exploration of parent/child relationship, to some degree. I can't tape it, and it's not out for distribution yet (which I think it should be), but it would be great for many of the classes folks teach. Arlene Plevin
