Roadsworth: Crossing the Line

What is public space? What are the boundaries to public space, especially in cities? Who is Roadsworth?

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Concordia University (Montreal)
Friday November 21, 2008
Screening begins 19h30
Venue: Room H-110, 1455 de maisonneuve

Alan Kohl / Canada / 2008 / 72 min

This WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING is co-sponsored by RIDM, Montreal's International Documentary Film Festival. ROADSWORTH is preceded by the experimental documentary short THE SPOT (Alexandre Philippe / France / 2008 / 17 min), a MONTREAL PREMIERE SCREENING. THE SPOT looks at that infamous historical location where JFK met his maker, and where tourists and looky-loos continue to flock to.

SYNOPSIS - ROADSWORTH CROSSING THE LINE: Over a period of three years, the stencil artist Peter Gibson, aka Roadsworth, made his mark on Montreal in the early hours of the morning by launching a self-described "attack on the streets."

Armed with spray paint and handmade stencils, he began to play with the language of the streets, overlaying city asphalt markings with his own images: a crosswalk became a giant boot print, vines choked up traffic dividers, and electrical plugs filled parking spots. Each piece begged the question, Who owns public space?

Roadsworth: Crossing the Line details the artist's prosecution at home and his travels abroad to France, London and Amsterdam, as he imprints himself legitimately (and illegitimately) on foreign streets. The film reflects Roadsworth's personal struggle to defend his work, define himself as an artist and address difficult questions about art and freedom of expression.
With Roadsworth: Crossing the Line, filmmaker Alan Kohl provides a portrait of an artist who provokes debate about the significance of art in urban spaces.

(Image below taken from THE SPOT)

Director
Alan Kohl

Producers
Sergeo Kirby (Loaded Pictures)
Sarah Spring (Loaded Pictures)
Adam Symansky (NFB)

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