You wouldn't ordinarily expect a film about shopping carts to be action-packed and full of excitement. Then again, Carts of Darkness is no ordinary film.

Screening at the NFB Mediatheque starting tonight and running until next Tuesday, July 22, Murray Siple's documentary Carts of Darkness examines the thriving subculture of shopping cart racing in North Vancouver.

What most people don't realize is that the documentary — which is shot in high-definition and received immense praise at this year's Hot Docs festival — isn't just about the extreme nature of shopping cart racing, even though it may be marketed that way.

Aside from the thrilling race footage, Carts of Darkness has a social message that lies in its juxtaposition of the idyllic North Vancouver suburban life with the grittiness of the way of life of the local bottle pickers in the community. Don't expect this film just to be one big thrill ride (with an intense soundtrack, I may add): there's a lot of darkness and depth to Siple's doc as well.

Carts of Darkness is showing at the NFB Mediatheque for a short time, and I'd highly recommend heading out to one of the screenings:

• July 17 at 7pm
• July 18 at 7pm
• July 19 at 3pm
• July 20 at 1pm
• July 22 at 7pm

You can get more information about showtimes and tickets at the NFB Mediatheque website.