Simple Production

Gas Station takes you on a world trip and tells its tale from the confines of small gas stations ; a concept that acts mainly as a tool to connect stories and to discover different lifestyles, cultures and people. By observing everyday-life in and around a filling station and through conversations with owners, personnel and costumers, we discover a great deal about the country itself. The gas station works as a microcosm for the country it is located in.

Episode 1 : Gas Station - Arizona outlines the attitude of conservative American whites in respect tot the illegal Mexican migration.
Episode 2 : Gas Station - Punjab deals with the theme of sexual exploitation. It focuses on local girls who fall prey to NRI's who lure them into fake marriages.
Episode 3 : Gas Station - Australia focuses on the collaboration between Aboriginals and whites who were hired to run finances in Aboriginal communities.
Episode 4 : Gas Station - Iceland is the story of Flateyri, a small community trying to rebuild and start over after a disastrous avalanche.
Episode 5 : Gas Station - Czech Republic shows little hope for a Roma, ghetto-like, neighbourhood where alcohol and cigarettes are more popular than petrol.
Episode 6 : Gas Station - Israel/Palestine uncovers a different side of the conflict through the friendship of an Arab gas station owner with his local Jewish clients. 

Credits

• Director : Luc Vrydaghs
• Photography : Lieven Van Baelen (Arizona, Punjab), Renaat Lambeets (Australia), Lou Berghmans (Iceland), Nicolas Karakatsanis (Czech republic, Israel/Palestine)
• Sound : Piet Baert (Arizona, Punjab), Luc Cuveeke (Australia), Marc Engels (Iceland, Czech Republic, Israel/Palestine)
• Editing : Dieter Diepedaele
• Research : Werner Ruts
• Original music : Dominique Pauwels (Arizona, Punjab), Peter Vermeersch (Australia, Iceland), Raf Keunen (Czech Republic, Israel/Palestine)
• Sound Design : Tom Daniëls

Production & Partners

• Production : CCCP, VRT/Canvas & Simple Production
• Partners : With the support of the Flemish Film Fund (VAF)

International Sales

• TF1 International

Festivals

• Leuven International Short Film Festival 2005 (Belgium)
• Festival Vues d’Afrique, Montréal 2005 (Canada)
• Documenta Madrid 2005 (Spain) 
• Docville Festival 2006, Leuven (Belgium)
• Interfilm Berlin 2006 (Germany)
• Documentary Fortnight MOMA, New York 2007 (USA)
• 'International Competition' in Festival Vues d'Afrique in Montreal (2004)

Awards

• FIPA Silver Award 2004 in Biarritz in the ‘Short subject’ category for Gas Station – South Africa (pilot episode) (France)

Dvd

• Original version : French subtitles
• Original version : English subtitles