Translator
Ostensibly embarking upon a portrait of a "modern-day Abraham Lincoln", Escaping History traces the development of a relationship between the videomaker and his subject. As the story unfolds, it veers from the objective to the highly personal. The tape relates the story of Mel Glasser, a recovering schizophrenic who, having adopted the persona of Abraham Lincoln, has made considerable progress in the last twenty years. The tape refuses to romanticize Mel's condition; he speaks frankly with intelligence and humour, and takes Applegath on a special journey.
Translator
In the heat and desolation of Santa Fe, California, three people are connected and disconnected by proximity, nature and circumstances. Dwight is a New Age DJ. Ramon is an experimental composer and filmmaker. Ash displays numerous tattoos. Each elaborates on central and sometimes disturbing chapters of their lives. The tape culminates with Ramon's harrowing account of a friend's downward spiral.