Interview with Meghan Eckman, the Director of ‘The Parking Lot Movie’
Posted on - Last updated:
A Parking Lot is probably not the first place one would think would make a great subject for a documentary. Then again, The Corner Parking Lot (the CPL) located in Charlottesville, Virginia has always seemed to attract a peculiar type of personality. Staffed by a loyal brotherhood of hyper educated and surly artists and misfits, The CPL is no mere parking lot, its “a battle with Humanity”; the ideal setting for one to reflect on one’s place in the universe while doing battle with angry SUV drivers, drunken Frat Boys, and lousy drivers in general. Director Meghan Eckman’s patient and sympathetic approach with her subjects provides a refreshing portrait of Work and Consumer Culture that is endearing, and at times painfully funny.
Since It’s premiere at this year’s South By Southwest Film Festival, The Parking LotMovie has had an international tour on the festival circuit and was recently featured on the PBS program The Inside Lens On PBS. I had the chance to watch the film at this month’s Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal and was lucky enough to talk with director Meghan Eckman about her film over Skype.
