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Radiant City

In this feature length film Gary Burns, Canada's king of surreal comedy, joins journalist Jim Brown on an outing to the suburbs. Venturing into territory both familiar and foreign, they turn the documentary genre inside out, crafting a vivid account of life in The Late Suburban Age.
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In this feature length film Gary Burns, Canada's king of surreal comedy, joins journalist Jim Brown on an outing to the suburbs. Venturing into territory both familiar and foreign, they turn the documentary genre inside out, crafting a vivid account of life in The Late Suburban Age.

Urbanism All subjects
  • writer
    Gary Burns
    Jim Brown
  • director
    Gary Burns
    Jim Brown
  • producer
    Shirley Vercruysse
    Bonnie Thompson
  • cinematographer
    Patrick McLaughlin
  • editor
    Jonathan Baltrusaitis
  • song
    Joey Santiago
  • music supervisor
    John Bissell
    Natalie Baartz
  • cast
    Daniel Jeffery
    Bob Legare
    Jane MacFarlane
    Ashleigh Fidyk
    Curt McKinstry
    Karen Jeffery
    Michaela Jeffery
    Amanda Guenther
    Hong Cheng
    Kyle Grant
    Austin Penny
    Cayla Wolever
    Aaron Elekes
    Delphine Brooker
    Stirling Karlsen
    Chantal Perron
    Keith White
    Natasha Girgis
    Oliver Westhall
    Mina Simi
    Doris Latrielle
    Heather Fidyk
    Darren Fidyk
    Ken Greenberg
    James Howard Kunstler
    Mark Kingwell
    Joseph Heath
    Peggy Scott
    Marc Boutin
    Andrés Duany
    Bev Sandalack
  • line production
    Neale Joudrie
  • 1st assistant director
    Richard Friedman
  • script supervisor
    Sabrina Birrell
  • accountant
    Leslie Maynes
  • 1st assistant camera
    Brian Shier
  • stills photographer
    Donna Brunsdale
  • production designer
    John Sherrington
  • hair
    Caroline Dehner
  • makeup
    Caroline Dehner
  • wardrobe
    Caroline Dehner
  • unit manager
    Mark Voyce
  • location manager
    Brian Dunne
  • sound mixer
    Igal Petel
  • gaffer
    Derek Waite
  • key grip
    Warren Gibson
  • casting
    Deb Green
  • extras casting
    Alyson Lockwood
  • craft service
    Melody Thompson
  • production assistant
    Jenn Vincent
  • supervising sound editor
    Patrick Butler
  • sound editor
    Bennett Suba
    Ryan Schriml
  • foley recordist
    Patrick Andrews
  • foley artist
    Cal Harle
  • re-recording mixer
    Patrick Butler
    Bennett Suba
  • assistant picture editor
    Trisha Todd
  • research services
    Andrea Marantz
  • animation
    Caroline Mouris
    Frank Mouris
  • titles
    Solid Green
  • colourist
    Andrea Dixon
  • laboratory
    Rainmaker Digital Pictures
  • re-recording studio
    Twisted Pair Sound Ltd.
  • laboratory services
    Rainmaker Digital Pictures
  • auditor
    David Darras Chartered Accountants
  • legal services
    Fraser Milner Casgrain
  • production financing
    Rogers Telefund
  • production insurance
    Jones Brown and Associates Ltd.
  • executive producer
    Jerry McIntosh
    Carl Karp
    Graydon McCrea

Education

Ages 12 to 18

Notes

Warnings: language

Debate or discuss the following statements:

  • “People cannot tolerate one another in the suburbs”;
  • “There is cartoonification of buildings in the suburbs”;
  • “Children lack social development and growth in the suburbs”;
  • “Suburbia is the perfect setting for a zombie apocalypse.”

What is your reaction to the facts presented in the graphics? For example, on average, North Americans drive the equivalent of 55 eight-hour days every year; adults in the suburbs are 6.3 pounds heavier, on average; half of the people in North America do not have access to a car.

Create a pros and cons chart about raising a family in the suburbs. Discuss or write about the future of suburbia.

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Radiant City
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