Free Political Film Screenings Cinema Politica is a project organized by Montréal-based non-profit überculture, and comprises a network of several local film exhibition series across Canada, Europe and the USA.

Roadsworth: Crossing the Line

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Friday Night Docs by Cinema Politica Fredericton
Friday November 27, 2009
Screening begins 19h00
Venue: Conserver House - 180 St. John St.

Roadsworth: Crossing the Line details a Montreal stencil artist’s clandestine campaign to make his mark on the city streets.

Hailed as an "artist's artist" by Wooster Collective, Roadsworth began to play with the language of the streets, overlaying city asphalt markings with his own images: a crosswalk becames a giant boot print, vines choked up traffic dividers, and electrical plugs filled parking spots. Each piece begged the question, Who owns public space?

As he is prosecuted at home and celebrated abroad, Roadsworth struggles to defend his work, define himself as an artist and address difficult questions about art and freedom of expression.

Roadsworth: Crossing the line

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

Alan Kohl / Canada / 2008 / 72 min

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.