Rousse in Durham documentary premieres Sept. 10

Last fall, I turned out for the Georges Rousse exhibition in downtown Durham on one of its last open exhibition days. I'd read a bit about it in the local paper, heard other things about it on several listservs, but really hadn't been following it too closely. Still, it was a beautiful fall day, so I figured I'd walk from home and mosey on by Bargain Furniture, Liberty Warehouse, the Chesterfield, and the old Baldwin Department Store to see what was going on.

I was blown away by the crowds. Downtown looked alive, people thronging along the then-disturbed sidewalks and roads, waiting for what seemed like up to an hour at a time to get a few moments' view of the illusions Rousse had created with his paint and, more to the point, his mind.

Even more astounding than the crowds was the story of how it came to pass -- inspired by two civic-minded Durhamites interested in doing something creative downtown, Rousse's Durham project came to involve volunteerism at a level the artist stated he had never seen before, in any city where he'd ever worked. All of which set forth last fall's Rousse experience as just another everyday example of what sets the Bull City apart from anywhere I've ever lived, that's for sure.

Now comes word that the documentary film of the exhibition, Bending Space: Georges Rousse and the Durham Project, will be premiering at the Carolina Theatre on Monday, September 10 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $20 with proceeds benefiting the Carolina Theatre and The Southern Documentary Fund, the latter to help underwrite the further distribution of the film. (The documentary already is on the schedule for a May 2008 film festival in Paris and organizers would like to get the story even more broadly told.)

Tickets went on sale late last week and are available by calling (919) 560-3030, visiting the Morgan St. box office, or visiting the theater's web site. A synopsis of the film appears past the cut.

"What happens when a visionary French artist meets the iconoclastic and creative spirit of a former Tobacco Road town in the midst of a downtown revitalization? A singular grassroots arts project emerges that confounds expectations and takes the city of Durham, North Carolina by storm as buildings from a past incarnation of the city are transformed into temporary canvases for dramatic public art.

Bending Space: Georges Rousse and the Durham Project, an hour-long documentary film by Durham filmmakers Kenny Dalsheimer and Penelope Maunsell, captures the creative genius of French photographer and installation artist Georges Rousse and follows the artist and hundreds of volunteers during a September 2006 public art residency in Durham. The film includes interviews with Rousse, project coordinators and volunteers, and people on the street as they visit the installations. Bending Space reveals the complex process of creating Rousse’s signature trompe l’oeil illusions of color and shape that ultimately become the stunning large format color photographs exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide. The film is witness to the energy that is unleashed when a remarkable photographer and an art-loving community join forces to create art and experience a city in new and unexpected ways."

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I invited two relatives from Greensboro to the show last night. They were really impressed by the installations -- and thought that Durhamites sure do applaud alot. (I had to admit, I was a little giddy clapping for Through This Lens and Locopops!)

The film was enjoyable, too. Lots of tiny, fun moments like when it was revealed that Georges choice of pink for the Baldwin piece was based solely on the color of his site captain's t-shirt. And the final 1/2 second scene was classic. Coupe!