Store (2006)

What would you pay to hang onto the random stuff you've collected all throughout your life, but it just doesn't fit in your house? If you are like the many of the people we met while shooting this film, the price you'll pay to keep these tangible remnants of your memories is in excess of $40,000. When I moved to LA, I left a full storage unit behind in NH, and like most of the people in this film, I thought I go back for it. It's amazing how quickly soon becomes someday. It seems like there a storage complex on nearly every corner. What is everyone hanging on to? Why? And is it worth it? And speaking of complexes, every time I try to get rid of something, I hear myself saying "But it's my stuff." "I'll need it as soon as I get rid of it." "There's nothing wrong with it." "I might wear that. " "It was a gift," and so many more justifications. I needed to know if I alone in my attachment. Using footage collected from interviews shot all across the country, we explore the uniquely American fascination with personal storage. Combining key points from each interview, themes emerged such as cost, security, living space, loss, emotional attachment, and what items we need/want/love/have/use/store. In STORE, we "pass the baton" as it were and tell our stories in concert with the others. Rather than focusing upon a few detailed stories, we share a few details from a lot of stories. In short, we discuss the fine line between collecting and hoarding, and why simply having is so important to us all.