The Infringing Picture
Posted June 21, 2006 by John Menick
A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking of linking to artist Chris Moukarbel’s video version of Oliver Stone’s WTC. Good thing I didn’t. It seems like Paramount is not only suing the artist, but also cited a blog that linked to the project as evidence in the case. When will it stop? I didn’t think I would bother seeing Stone’s film until I saw Moukarbel’s short, which actually got me interested in doing a side-by-side comparison. I’ll go back to not bothering.
A little background in case you’re scratching your head:
Using an appropriated copy of Oliver Stone’s script for “World Trade Center,” filmmaker Chris Moukarbel took matters into his own hands and went ahead and shot an extract from the script with student actors in his own studio. The first of its kind in an internet rife with trailer mash-ups and footage remixes, the idea of creating an adaptation of a film months prior to release is part of Moukarbel’s current video art installation, and aimed specifically at pre-empting the upcoming Oliver Stone film’s release in August 2006. The installation piece is currently touring European art galleries, and has just recently found its way online.
One Response to “The Infringing Picture”
Hi John,
I want to thank you for your interest. Due to the pending litigation I’ve been prevented from making statements in the press. The lawsuit story was leaked by Paramount and really only reflects their perspective. There are many inaccuracies that I haven’t been able to address and still cannot. I’m a sculptor and video artist living in NYC and this was the first film I made. It was a conceptual project based on critiquing Hollywood’s authority to memorialize an historic event. I can’t comment on my understanding of ‘Fair-use for the purpose of commentary’ in copyright law but I can say that I’m not a commercial filmmaker and I never profited from this work
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