Meghan Eckman's offbeat documentary The Parking Lot Movie takes a most unlikely subject and spins an enlightening yarn that takes in anthropology, philosophy, ethics, and the politics of dealing with inebriated college students with a penchant for destroying gates.

At once an intimate portrait of the transient denizens of a humble parking lot booth, and a damning expose of a generation in crisis, the deftness of touch displayed by Eckman and her team shines a much needed light on an overlooked amenity. It's also pretty damn funny, and populated with smart characters that veer from acerbic to goofy without breaking a sweat. You'll never double-park again (hopefully).

We recently caught up with Meghan to find out more about her unusual documentary, and her hopes for SXSW

SXSW: Tell us a little about your background - how did you arrive at filmmaking?

Eckman: I started off as a video editor. Editing then evolved to become an interest in filmmaking and narrative storytelling as a whole. I became a filmmaker as a natural progression from editing.

SXSW: A parking lot seems like such unlikely source material. What first drew you to the project?

Eckman: This parking lot is legendary in Charlottesville, Virginia. It has great myth and lore attached to it.

Apparently over the years – many people have talked about making a movie about this particular parking lot. I was the first person to actually do it. Once I started filming, I really began to understand that truly was an exceptional parking lot and a very deserving subject.

SXSW: It seems like a unique situation, with unique characters, but there are so many parking lots out there. Did you do any research into Parking Lots outside Virginia? If so, why this one?

Eckman: I wish I could say that there was ‘research’ involved in this project – but really, it was rather spontaneous. I focused on this particular parking lot because it is located in the city where I live, because I knew several of the parking lot attendants who worked there, and because the aspects of this particular parking lot captivated me.

SXSW: I get the feeling that there was a staggering amount of material. How was the editing process?

Eckman: The editing took 2-3 years to get it at a point where I was happy with it. The problem is – you’re making a movie about a parking lot. You have to keep that subject matter entertaining and create a narrative arc over the course of a feature film. If I were making a movie on different subject, I suspect my task might have been easier.

There was more than one moment where I took a step back and considered my situation bizarre in terms of the subject matter of the documentary. But I think it paid off. It’s such a unique subject matter. And yes, there was a staggering amount of material due to the fact that my strategy was to record everything and sort it out later. We ended up with over 150 hours of material. I owe many thanks to Co-Editor Christopher Hlad - who really helped me streamline the project at the editing stage. Christopher Hlad's role was essential in creating the final product.

SXSW: I was shocked at how volatile some of the situations were at times. Were you ever concerned for your safety?

Eckman: Definitely there were moments when my heart rate was up and certainly many uncomfortable moments filming (particularly at night when everybody's drinking or inebriated), but I can’t say that I was ever concerned for my safety. Oftentimes I feel that when you have the camera in your hands, it has a shielding effect. That was the place I was coming from.

SXSW: What would you hope a "difficult" customer might glean from the film - or an easy one for that matter!

Eckman: I would like people to think more on the notion of Entitlement and feeling entitled. By Entitlement I mean the belief that you’re entitled to a parking space, entitled to free parking, and overall, that you deserve certain privileges in life. I hope this film can make people more aware of some of their assumptions.

SXSW: What's next for you?

Eckman: I think that in order to inform myself as a filmmaker, I must always be challenging myself and pushing the boundaries. Traveling in particular serves this goal for me.

Next I believe I would like to do some traveling to Central and South America. From there, I plan to formulate my next big project. Ideally, I may even encounter a project that would lead me to world travel.

In the meantime, I have in mind a more fanciful project in mind - something similar to a fairytale.

SXSW: What are you looking forward to at SXSW?

Eckman: I’m looking forward to meeting other filmmakers who have worked just as hard to get there. Most of all, I’m looking forward to finally seeing my movie in a theater in front of an audience. I can’t wait for that moment!

SXSW: Finally…what would you stencil on the gate of the Parking Lot?

Eckman: ‘Park at your own risk’