No Fun City documentary tackles Vancouver’s declining music scene
Vancouver is losing it’s culture! While the creativity and talent of new artists and musicians is on a steady increase, the outlets these arts need in order to reach an audience is rapidly decreasing. There has been a sweep of smaller venues closing and a sense that those who run this city are trying to contain any sort of nightlife to “The Entertainment District” – a small patch of the downtown hub, located primarily on Granville Street, that houses a small collection of generic dance clubs and bars. Anything that is committed to the growth of underground talent is quickly falling to the outdated drinking laws and regulations by city hall.
‘No Fun City’, which is set for release in fall 2009, is a new documentary by filmmakers Melissa James and Kate Kroll that explores the decline of cultural development of art and music and it’s eradicated projection to Vancouver’s population. This film talks to musicians, artists, club owners and promoters all feeling the effects and with an agreed understanding we quickly need serious stages of rebuilding.
Another point in question has always been the division between the west end and downtown east side in Vancouver. The east has been looked upon as almost the toilet of this beautiful city, even more so as 2010 quickly approaches. While the Olympic clock at the Vancouver Art Gallery counts down the days, those in the power seats are developing ways to “clean up” the east side of it’s drug and homeless problem. ‘No Fun City’ looks deep into the issues surrounding this, letting it be known that this is an area that has always been devout in the growth of our artistic movement by producing some of the most unknown yet greatest venues to date.
Although we are so fortunate to have all this amazing talent at our doorstep, we will never get to experience most of it. What’s also very sad is the majority of artists trying to make a name for themselves will most likely have to leave this city to ever do so, causing us that care about the artistic aspect of Vancouver with even more to lose.
Check the website http://nofuncity.org for more information.
Trailer:
www.nofuncity.org from melissa on Vimeo.
