Drying for Freedom

Starting from the obvious but rarely considered fact that nearly every one of the billions of people on our planet deals with laundry, filmmakers Steven Lake and Adam Merrifield's documentary chronicles how we've gone from backyard clotheslines to electric clothes dryers, while also exploring how Earth might be negatively affected as access to electricity expands into developing areas of the globe and the demand for modern conveniences continues to grow. Where, the filmmakers ask, does convenience end and luxury begin? Drying for Freedom traces the history of the dryer, beginning with General Electric in Schenectady, NY, circa the early '50s, a time when spokesman Ronald Reagan—with the help of wife Nancy and daughter Patti—was hired to sell not just commercial products but a lifestyle. Soon images of laundry hanging on a line would become associated with poverty (nowadays, many homeowners associations nationwide forbid the practice). But the “right to dry” is gaining traction, and legislation to that effect is being drafted in some statehouses. Lake and Merrifield combine archival and contemporary footage (including scenes from a huge solar laundromat in Chicago), talking-head commentary, and interviews with activists and ordinary folks who stand on both sides of the issue (in one particularly alarming example, laundry is implicated in a murder investigation!). Along the way, the discussion expands to India, where luxuries are becoming necessities, raising carbon concerns to a whole new level. Offering an intelligent look at the stunning impact of a little-remarked appliance, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Gardner)