FISH KILL FLEA

a film by Brian M. Cassidy, Aaron Hillis + Jennifer Lober

Once thriving, a dead mall is now home to a ragtag flea market. Blending vérité with a stylized wit, this heartbreaking portrait raises questions about our disposable culture through the unfiltered lives of its eccentric community.

World Premiere: SXSW Film Festival

51 min / Documentary / 1.33

“In the hills of upstate New York sits an increasingly common sight: an empty mall awaiting its fate (future Home Depot or future Walmart?). The directors of Fish Kill Flea gently sing the mall to sleep with a caring depiction of its final tenant: a flea market occupying only a small portion of the building. Without the aid of narration, Fish Kill Flea whispers its concern for our disposable culture as it captures a subculture losing its battle for survival.” - The Austin Chronicle

Color photographs by Brian M. Cassidy / Archival photographs courtesy of the Poughkeepsie Journal Archives