Film Lens
Broke is a Canadian documentary directed by Rosvita Dransfeld, focusing on the friendship between David Woolfson, a pawn shop owner in Edmonton, Alberta, and Chris Hoard, an ex-convict who assists him in the shop. The film presents their interactions and the dynamics of their relationship, providing insight into their lives and the environment of the pawn shop.
The film premiered at the 2009 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and was later screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Global Visions Film Festival. It had its television premiere on March 3, 2010, as part of TVOntario's documentary series The View from Here. The film received recognition by winning the Donald Brittain Award for Best Social or Political Documentary Program at the 25th Gemini Awards in 2010.
Why Watch
- •Meet David Woolfson, an Edmonton pawn shop owner.
- •Follow Chris Hoard, an ex-convict turned volunteer.
- •See the dynamics of a unique friendship unfold.
Did You Know
•Broke premiered at the 2009 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.
•The film won the Donald Brittain Award at the 25th Gemini Awards in 2010.
•Chris Hoard was featured again in Dransfeld's 2014 film Anti-Social Limited.
•Broke was screened at three film festivals in 2009.
Perfect For
Canadian documentary fansStories of redemptionPawn shop culture