A Different Path

This documentary profiles a number of people attempting to live without a vehicle in a variety of major urban areas. Each explains why they made this decision, and each faces unexpected complications because of it., Most major cities in the world are designed with the automobile in mind, and while there’s little argument there would be significant benefits if more people used other forms of transportation — less pollution, less dependence on fossil fuels, less waste, less space needed for parking and better health — most city dwellers, particularly in the United States, are reluctant to give up their cars, often because other options aren’t safe or practical. Filmmaker Monteith McCollum profiles several individuals who for various reasons are trying to live without a car and the problems they face in the documentary A Different Path. One elderly man who can no longer drive walks when he wants to run his errands, but has to pass through areas without sidewalks and must stroll on the shoulder next to busy traffic as he goes to and from the market. Another man living in a big city rides a bike to work and is part of a group staging protests to encourage better bike lanes and safer precautions for cyclists. And one man looking for healthier and more environmentally responsible transportation makes his daily commute in a kayak. A Different Path received its world premiere at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival.