Chicago Premiere at the Logan Theatre ,” Free Speech and the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist” by Nancy Bechtol. Featuring indie Music by Behind the Sun-Andy Alton & David Mansfield “Paper Airplane” courtesy of Hey Now Records – one night only – 11.14.14 Friday 7:30 PM
See/Hear the Nancy Bechtol interview by Dan O’Donnell – Logan Square TV
http://logansquare.tv/?p=903
An important documentary about street artist Chris Drew, and his felony trial for recording police, will premiere at The Logan Theatre on November 14. The film, Free Speech and the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist is directed by Logan Square resident, Nancy Bechtol. Literally thousands of people across Chicago know Chris Drew, because of his vibrant presence in Chicago’s art community and on Chicago’s streets… In the 2 1/2 years before he passed away in 2012, Drew became known to thousands more across the country and around the world, as he faced up to 15 years in prison for recording police on duty. The video recordings that Nancy Bechtol made on the day of his arrest as well as the years leading up to his arrest became the basis of this documentary. Footage from as early as 2002 shows Drew’s activism and his involvement with the art communities and Critical Mass community in Chicago. Interviews with his attorneys as well as people who knew him through the Uptown Multicultural Art Center are also featured
In December, 2009, he was arrested for selling art for $1 in front of Macy’s on State Street. He wanted to get arrested in order to challenge the city ordinance that would require him to wear a permit in order to sell art. Drew was trying to illustrate that artists are different from merchandise peddlers. Legal precedent has held that art is a form of speech that can’t be curtailed.. Before his arrest, Drew spent months with Bechtol recording his interactions with police on various occasions at various locations across Chicago. He would give away his art, and eventually began to sell it. He asked film maker Nancy Bechtol to record his activities with a video camera. He also carried a small audio recorder…Drew’s plan to challenge the (Chicago Peddler’s Ordinance) took a sharp turn when he was arrested. Officers found the audio recorder in his pocket, and subsequently dropped the peddling charges in favor of charges of eavesdropping
Eavesdropping charges – a Class 1 felony and carry a prison sentence of up to 15 years. Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez maintained that the conversation with the police was private, even though they were acting as public servants and were on a public way. Drew was exonerated in court in 2012, and Alvarez’s office immediately appealed the ruling. Drew died months later, however, so his case alone would not change the law in Illinois. Findings from his case, however, did affect similar cases that were being tried in Illinois at around the same time. In March of this year, the Illinois Supreme Court finally ruled that citizens have a constitutional right to record police actions in public.
Chris Drew’s Legacy lives on! Now in the Film. see it.
“ART is SPEECH!”
Chris Drew’s Legacy lives on! Now in the Film. see it. The film is scheduled to show for one night only, on Friday, November 14. Tickets are on sale now at The Logan Theatre box office or online at www.thelogantheatre.com
You can check out the trailer below. Much more information about Chris Drew and this film can be found on Nancy Bechtol’s website
“ART is SPEECH!”
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11.14.14 Marked Chicago and World Premiere of “Free Speech & the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist” screened at the Logan Theatre. Local is best. Special thanks To the media the Reader, Sun-Times, Logan TV and DNAinfo, Chicago Talks, Mark Thomas of the Alley Stores for the great collector buttons given at the premiere, and all those who blogged and grassroots rallied to support this journey and NOW indie feature film. You are the best! The thank you list is a good 3 pages long on the film credits, several of Chris Drew’s former students were there, Lew & Diana – with beautiful flyers and ongoing People’s Tribune tributes to Chris, as well as his widow Deborah, attorney Mark Weinberg, and (includes spiritual advisors and inspirations) John Lennon, Martin Luther King and Gandhi, his probono attorneys Weinberg and Kutnick, Music courtesy of Hey Now Records/’Paper Airplane’, by Behind the Sun-Alton & Mansfield, ( along with the ACLU, APA, CANTV, Occupy Critical Mass and our Public Servants(who legally can and will be recorded in public), and more. so many more…all listed in the film ) Special thanks to the crew who supported the film Ron Grenko and Hermann Wieland, and David Bechtol, Technical Supervisor and fixer of all things, without him this film would not have been made. Thanks for all who were there in person and in spirit! an excellent audience, we nearly filled the 102 seat theatre. very well attended! What an experience to see so many people and, most I did not know… that was amazing. The film is now for history, forever.
FREE SPEECH & Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness 