Looks at the impact on a small town when Wal- Mart plans to build a mega-store there.
In the US, Wal- Mart opens a new mega-store every two business days. This is the story of the impact of discount chain stores on American towns and cities, and on our society as a whole.
STORE WARS follows events in Ashland, VA, over a one-year period, from the first stormy public hearing that galvanizes residents' opposition till the Town Council takes a final vote on the proposed Wal- Mart store. Arguments for the store (tax revenues, low prices, jobs) and against it (destroys small town character, traffic, low-end jobs) are articulated and hotly debated. The cast of characters includes the mayor and Town Council members who will eventually make the decision, Wal- Mart representatives and the "Pink Flamingos," the grassroots citizen group opposed to the store.
STORE WARS does not single out Wal- Mart, but rather highlights its position as the icon of the Big Box industry. While offering a critical view of this industry, the film presents fairly all viewpoints on this controversial issue
Awards
~ Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival
~ Gold Plaque, Chicago International Television Competition
~ CINE Golden Eagle
~ Bronze Plaque Award, Columbus International Film & Video Festival
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