Brooklyn based director David Sabshon explores the law of copyright infringement, social media’s effect on the art world, and the value systems of the contemporary art market in his new documentary Copyright Infringement premiering as an Official Section of 2023 Brooklyn Film Festival on Friday, June 9
The film examines copyright infringement from a different perspective. It ponders the law itself, the impact social media exerts upon art, and how the contemporary market measures the value of art.
As its primary subject, the documentary follows successful contemporary Australian artist CJ Hendry during the 2020-2021 run of her annual exhibition entitled copyright infringement. With a global scavenger hunt and compelling narrative, the film unfolds with a captivating story all its own. At its heart, the project offers a message of inspiration, encouraging viewers to follow their respective passions regardless of outside opinions.
Filmmaker David Sabshon commented, “For me, CJ is a rockstar— she’s incredibly creative and talented, plays by her own rules and has a very very enthusiastic fandom (she’ll hate me saying that). So when approaching the film I really wanted to embrace that idea. Rather than exploring CJ and her art practice with the sort of, self-serious, insider voice we so often get in documentaries about the art world, I wanted us to go into it like we creating a tour documentary for an iconic pop star. It just made sense; and it created a lot of space for us to play with tone and pace.”
He continued, “I think the movie serves to give us a peak behind the curtain of CJ and her world; and I hope that CJ’s determination and rule-breaker spirit inspires people to take chances in their own life and go for it (whatever “it” may be). But the real guiding tenant for me was for the film to be fun and thrilling for audiences – to capture the pure joy and adrenaline that is felt by thousands participating in the Copyright Infringement scavenger hunt each year.”
Watch the first look trailer for Copyright Infringement.