Blue Vinyl

Positioning herself somewhere between crusading journalist Michael Moore and working class whistle-blower Erin Brockovich, Judy Helfand sets out to show her parents how environmentally unsound it was to buy vinyl siding for their home. While PVC is cheap, durable and safe (until you've had a fire), it's highly toxic at the production stage and difficult to dispose of. Shouldn't the consumer share some responsibility for the entire life cycle of any given product, she argues - especially when, as in this case, the plastics industry has a record of neglect towards its employees and has conspired to cover up the facts. This is a persuasive, accessible documentary with an engaging homespun style. Sometimes Helfand's (faux?) naif journalism leaves questions hanging, but as she observes of Greenpeace spokesmen at one point: 'Sure, these guys were biased in favour of saving the planet - I don't have a problem with that.'