Director Lalita Krishna is scheduled to attend

Every year, the size of India’s middle-class grows by roughly the entire population of Canada, and with that demographic expansion has come an explosion of desire for upscale shopping. It’s a time of dizzying dreams, but what happens when a fifth of the population, representing two-thirds of all purchases, starts to leave traditional street markets for the air-conditioned glass-encased glory of the mall?

Street-level retail has become one of the most accessible employment paths to a middle-class lifestyle for unskilled urban migrants. Large-scale commercial expansion threatens its disruption. Directed by award-winner Lalita Krishna (Ryan’s Well), this documentary explores life in India’s various retail environments, from the street markets to the Canadian consulting firms trying to Westernize the shopping experience. This film asks the questions. What is gained? What is lost?

Preceded by:

Unravel

Directed by Meghna Gupta, UK/India, 2012, 14 minutes

The sleepy Northern Indian town of Panipat specializes in recycling the clothes that the west doesn't want. As they take apart the garments, they put together a view of American culture.