Film : VIGILANTE VIGILANTE

Vigilante, Vigilante (86mins US)
Director : Max Good
Producer : Nathan Wollman
Official website

Sf Kino: Fri 30.09. Sat 1.10 and Sun 02.10, 16:00. Tickets 60kr

A new breed of crime fighter now stalks the urban landscape: the anti graffiti vigilante. These dedicated blight warriors stop at nothing to rid their neighborhoods and cities of street art, stickers, tags, and posters. Yet several of these vigilantes have become the very menace they set out to eliminate. In their relentless attempt to stamp out graffiti, they’ve turned to illegally and destructively painting other people’s property.
VIGILANTE VIGILANTE is the story of two filmmakers who set out to expose these mysterious characters and discover a battle of expression that stretches from the streets to academia.

The film broadens to encompass questions of why people are motivated to do graffiti and how it relates to the wider culture, as well as why some may appreciate it while others hate it. The film introduces several interview subjects, including psychiatrists who discuss the vigilante character in American culture, as well as psychological insights into graffiti writers. Urban theorist and graffiti expert Stefano Bloch explains the cultural importance of graffiti as well as the widespread misunderstanding of the phenomenon. Graffiti writers, most disguised in masks, give their perspectives on the culture and its opponents. James Q. Wilson, prestigious co-author of the “Broken Windows Theory” makes the argument for a vigilante response against graffiti and other “quality of life” crimes. The filmmakers are not convinced and point towards the theory’s small scope and lopsided priorities.

Ultimately, “Vigilante Vigilante” is about tolerance and creating a conversation with one’s opponents. It’s the story of a battle between two perspectives and two generations. It is a youthful film that challenges conventional wisdom about who the villains are in the fight over graffiti. The story and methods may be brash, but the arguments are rooted reason and debate. The film is a unique appeal to reconsider some of our assumptions and recognize the importance of free public expression and the communicative use of public space.