Indies Under Fire (2006)

Directed by

Jacob Bricca

Genre

documentary film

Country

United States

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This documentary follows the struggles of independent bookstores in the United States as they compete with big chain stores. It focuses on the closure of Printers Inc. Bookstore in Palo Alto and the impact of Borders opening in Capitola and Santa Cruz. The film shows how communities lost a central gathering place when their local bookstore shut down.

informativesoberingobservationalnostalgicreflectiveeducationalevocativegrounded

What happens

Indies Under Fire: The Battle for the American Bookstore (2006) is an American documentary film which chronicles the difficulties faced by independent bookstores in the information economy. The Palo Alto based Printers Inc. Bookstore which closed in 2001 is the primary focus of the film. It also explores the impact of Borders moving into two small towns filled with independent bookstores: Capitola, California and Santa Cruz, California. Director Jacob Bricca stated that he was inspired to make the documentary in response to the closing of Printers Inc. Bookstore: "I took the [store's closing] very personally [...] I grew up in Palo Alto and spent many hours reading and hanging out at Printers Inc. I saw the strong connection the community had to the bookstore and, like others in the film, was very distressed at its closing." (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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