Director
Chronicling two years in the life of “psycho white trash punk band”, The Dirty Works, this startling film expands the boundaries of traditional rock documentaries in a manner that is not always comfortable, but is always riveting. The multi-textured movie explores several themes, including mental illness, addiction, relationships, family dysfunction, and the struggle for artistic expression in the heart of America’s “Bible Belt.” Centered on frontman Christopher Scum, Rebel Scum is, at its core, the story of one man’s continued drive to create art in spite of the barriers imposed by society and his own self-destructive tendencies. Bouncing intermittently between the extremes of comedy and tragedy, the film reveals a seedy American underworld that is, at once, both fascinating and repulsive.
Additional Editing
Copyright Criminals examines the creative and commercial value of musical sampling, including the related debates over artistic expression, copyright law, and (of course) money. This documentary traces the rise of hip-hop from the urban streets of New York to its current status as a multibillion-dollar industry. For more than thirty years, innovative hip-hop performers and producers have been re-using portions of previously recorded music in new, otherwise original compositions. When lawyers and record companies got involved, what was once referred to as a “borrowed melody” became a “copyright infringement.” The film showcases many of hip-hop music’s founding figures like Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Digital Underground—while also featuring emerging hip-hop artists from record labels Definitive Jux, Rhymesayers, Ninja Tune, and more.
