San Diego Asian Film Festival 2008

From 2000 to 2007, director Harry Kim documented the “life and crimes” of artist David Choe, as he rose from unknown “tagger” to reach his current level of fame as a muralist, painter, and illustrator. We see everything from Choe’s search for dinosaurs in the heart of the Congo to the way Choe literally beats himself up physically while painting, as the film takes us along on a reckless ride befitting the colorful and idiosyncratic street artist. Not only do we receive a firsthand look into Choe’s creative process, we also watch as he grows and matures as a man.

DIRTY HANDS successfully captures the manic desire for both adventure and excess that fuels both Choe’s manic creativity and self-destructive compulsions such as his uncontrollable kleptomania, using a dazzling, high-energy visual style that incorporates a variety of mediums and Choe’s art. By pushing the limits of the documentary film medium, Harry Kim has truly succeeded in giving us the true David Choe experience.

Co-presented by:
Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego's Film Program