For a moment in time, it seems that Kim’s Video was the place to be in New York.
This video and DVD rental store revelled in offering New Yorkers a more eclectic mix of films outside of the mainstream, and sometimes outside of the law.
This fascinating documentary tells the story of Kim’s Video and how a New York store ended up in a remote part of Italy, effectively held hostage by a shady local administration.
Directed by Ashley Sabin and David Redmon, this doc is as much about fighting for physical media as it is pointing out the hypocrisy of suffocating regimes.
We see bizarre footage as a media stunt is made about transporting 55,000 tapes and discs to a small Sicilian village.
The directors even repeatedly attempt to engage with Kim, to get his side of this unique tale.
Anyone hoping for a nostalgia filled look at a bygone video store may be slightly disappointed, but Kim’s Video is far more complex than that, and is better for it.
It takes you to unexpected places, and really hits home the message of cinema preservation.
Kim’s Video will be released in the US on 5 April 2024.
Bloody Flicks 