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Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town

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Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town
Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town Poster
Directed byMicha Peled
Written byMicha Peled
Produced byMicha Peled
Independent Television Service
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
StarringSam Walton
CinematographyAllen Moore
Edited byKen Schneider
Music byPete Sears
Release date
  • 2 October 2001 (2001-10-02)
Running time
59 minutes
CountryUnited States

Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town is a documentary based on true story, directed by filmmaker Micha Peled.[1][2][3] The movie was released on October 2, 2001. It is Peled's second documentary after Will My Mother Go Back to Berlin?(1993). It is the part one of Peled's Globalization Trilogy where the other two films of the trilogy are China Blue(2005) and Bitter Seeds (2011). The film's music was directed by Pete Sears and the cinematography was taken care by Allen Moore. It was premiered in South by Southwest Film Festival in 2001. The documentary won CINE Golden Eagle Awards and Golden Gate award in San Francisco International Film Festival.[4][5][6]

Plot and Themes

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The film has the background as the real situation at Ashland, Virginia, US when the population of Ashland engaged into a year long struggle and conflict with the members of the same community as Walmart decided to set up one of its megastores in the town. The event milestones narrated in the film may be considered to be starting from the first "public hearing that galvanizes residents' opposition" to the final voting that the Town Council concluded. Being faithful to the actual historical events, the movie depicts the conflict between the community on the ground if the proposed megastore would be beneficial for the community or not where the population was divided into two parts in favor and in against the proposal.[7][8][9][10]

Cast

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Receptions

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Critical reception

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The movie received mixed reception from different audiences and film critics. The movie received praise mainly for its ability to convey the event sequences with cinematic suspense. Tamara Straus of Newsreview wrote "Ashland was torn asunder by Wal-Mart’s proposal to come to town. Not since the Civil War or the civil-rights movement.... In Store Wars one can witness street protests led by a group called the Pink Flamingos, late-night discussions over homemade pies and the inevitable political maneuverings among prominent citizens and elected officials".[11] Julie Salamon of New York Times has compared the depiction in the film as a "David vs. Goliath scenario".[12] A. Bruce Dotson of University of Virginia remarked "The video provides a human perspective that is missing from textbooks". Al Norman from Sprawl-Busters commented "Store Wars takes you inside the grassroots politics of Ashland, Virginia, and inside a campaign by Wal-Mart to overpower the town. It is not pretty, but it lays out why Wal-Mart has become the most reviled corporation in America today".[13]

Festivals

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Award/Festival Year Category Won/Screened
South by Southwest Film Festival 2001 Official Premiere Screened
CINE Golden Eagle Awards[4][5] 2001 Best Documentary Won
San Francisco International Film Festival, Golden Gate award[14][15][16] 2001 Best Documentary Won

References

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  1. ^ "Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town | ITVS". itvs.org. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  2. ^ "Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes To Town". Environment & Society Portal. 2016-09-12. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  3. ^ "Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  4. ^ a b "Awards | ITVS". itvs.org. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  5. ^ a b "Micha X. Peled | dafilms.com". dafilms.com. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  6. ^ "CN&R • Business • Business • When Wal-Mart comes to town • May 31, 2001". Chico News & Review. 2005-07-06. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  7. ^ Lee, Sonny (2009). "Review of The Eisenhower Administration, The Third World and The Globalization of the Cold War". Journal of Third World Studies. 26 (1): 214–216. ISSN 8755-3449. JSTOR 45198851.
  8. ^ "When Wal-Mart Comes to Town, Controversy Follows". www.provokemedia.com. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  9. ^ "News and Reviews: Educating About Asia Through Film". www.aems.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  10. ^ "USA: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town | corpwatch". corpwatch.org. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  11. ^ "CN&R • Business • Business • When Wal-Mart comes to town • May 31, 2001". Chico News & Review. 2005-07-06. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  12. ^ Salamon, Julie (2001-06-04). "TELEVISION REVIEW; Incursion of a Superstore Galvanizes a Quiet Town". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  13. ^ "Store Wars | Bullfrog Films: 1-800-543-3764: Environmental DVDs and Educational DVDs". www.bullfrogfilms.com. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  14. ^ "ITVS Presents Micha Peled's STORE WARS: WHEN WAL-MART COMES TO TOWN | Distance-Educator.com". distance-educator.com. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  15. ^ "The Globalization Trilogy | Teddy Bear Films". Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  16. ^ "» Micha X. Peled". Environmental Film Festival. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
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