Almost There (2015) [N/A]

Featuring:
Peter Anton

Written by:
Dan Rybicky

Directed by:
Dan Rybicky, Aaron Wickenden


Release Date:
February 27, 2015

Original Title:
Almost There

Genres:
Documentary

Production Companies:
ITVS
Kartemquin Films

Production Countries:
United States of America

Ratings / Certifications:
 N/A

Runtime: 85

A coming-of-(old)-age story about Peter Anton, an elderly "outsider" artist living in isolated and crippling conditions whose world changes when two filmmakers discover his work and storied past. Shot over eight years, ALMOST THERE documents Anton's first major exhibition and how the controversy it generates forces him to leave his childhood home. Each layer revealed reflects on the intersections of social norms, elder care, and artistic expression.

For many, Peter Anton's house embodies an end-of-life nightmare: the utility companies long ago shut off the heat and electricity, the floorboards are rotting, and the detritus of a chaotic life is precariously stacked to the ceiling. But for the filmmakers, Anton's home contains a startling collection of unseen and fascinating paintings, drawings and illustrated manuscripts; not to mention Anton himself, a funny and utterly resilient character. Determined to form a coherent future out of a fractured past, they set out together to host an exhibition of the old artworks at America's leading "Outsider Art" museum. The film's self reflective odyssey follows a gifted artist over years of startling twists and turns that compel him to face a dark chapter from his past and the filmmakers to face their motivations. ALMOST THERE is about what it means to grow old in America, how this process can be complicated by mental illness, and how the whole bizarre panoply of life can be redeemed by art.

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Rankings and Honors

Almost There (2015) on IMDb
Internet Movie Database 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes 82%
Metacritic 70/100
Awards Won: 7 wins & 7 nominations

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