Portland Documentary & eXperimental Film Festival

Artist and college professor Steve Kurtz was preparing for a MASS MoCA exhibition about genetically modified food in May 2004 when, days before the opening, his wife, Hope, suddenly and tragically died of heart failure. Distraught, Kurtz called 911, but when medics arrived, they became suspicious of his art supplies and called the FBI. Soon after, dozens of agents in haz-mat suits sifted through his home and impounded his computers, books, cat, and even his wife’s body. The government held Kurtz as a suspected terrorist, and, nearly three years later, the charges have not been dropped. He still faces up to 20 years in prison. Because Kurtz cannot legally talk about the case, Leeson enlists actors, including Tilda Swinton, Thomas Jay Ryan, and Peter Coyote, to interpret the story. Leeson skillfully weaves dramatic reenactment, news footage, animation, testimonials, and footage of Kurtz himself into a sophisticated documentary about post-9/11 paranoia and the risks artists face when their work questions government policies.
— Shari Frilot (Sundance)

Several anonymous figures attempt to erect a flag in a hostile environment.

The language of anti-terrorism takes an unexpected form in this seductive propaganda video.