On Valentine's Day, Vancouver lost one of the most beloved donut shops in the city.
A huge line formed outside Cartems Donuts' Mount Pleasant location (2190 Main St), as people got their last treats before it closed.
Robin Kavanagh captured it all for a short documentary he's just released.
Called Donut Shaped Hole, the five-minute documentary was a passion project for the Vancouver-based Irish filmmaker and video maker.
'It was a way that I was able to immortalize it'
"Donut Shaped Hole is a succinct tribute to a local establishment that was a place I knew was very close to a lot of people," says Kavanagh. "It was a way that I was able to immortalize it."
The film consists of interviews with customers, staff, and ownership, along with carefully shot clips of the Main Street shop.
"I thought it was this beautiful location," Kavanagh tells V.I.A. "I always enjoyed being in that space, never mind getting the donuts."
The mini-documentary wasn't something he'd planned on doing; Kavanagh learned of the closure only a couple of weeks before Feb. 14, but he pulled things together quickly.
"I had no previous relationship with anyone who worked there," he says. "So going into it was a little bit awkward."
When he went in to interview the staff, he notes it wasn't a celebratory mood, but once he hung out with them for a while, the staff opened up.
"I learned how much each of them loved this job, how much they loved everyone they worked with, how much they loved the regulars," he says.
Filmmaker wanted to 'celebrate the legacy' of Cartems
Now that he's released Donut Shaped Hole he's happy how it turned out, as a sympathetic and bittersweet piece about a popular business closing.
"What I wanted was to celebrate the legacy of this place," he explains.
"It came out almost exactly how I wanted, which is very surprising for anyone who has tried to make a movie. It came out with the feeling I wanted."
And for the record, he says his favourite Cartems Donut was the Earl Grey.
"I did, sadly, only have the apple fritter on the last day," he notes. "Had I had it earlier than that, it might be gunning for first."
More mini-docs about Vancouver businesses?
Kavanagh notes he's looking to make more of these mini-docs about Vancouver businesses and organizations.
"There are so many quirky, very unique businesses run by passionate, interesting people," he says. "It's been something I've wanted to do."
He started with Cartems, given its impending end, but it's unlikely to be a one-off.
"As the end of the documentary shows, I'm passionate about these local businesses," he explains. "I think they're so important to the shape and colour of a community."
"It's the simple places like that which add to the overall experience of living somewhere," he says. "I think it's something that's so important, and that I think we need, especially at a time like this."
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