Barney's Wall

Barney's Wall

78 mins | Documentary | May 4, 2019

What makes a rebel? This 78 minute documentary probes the psyche of bad-boy publisher and free speech warrior Barney Rosset, whose mid-century legal and cultural battles smashed sexual and political taboos in the United States — unleashing the counter-culture of the 1960s and introducing millions of young intellectuals to the most radical currents in literature, film, theater and politics. In his late eighties, coming to terms with his life, Barney Rosset began to obsessively sculpt an autobiographical 15′ x 22′ surreal wall mural, embedded with jewel-like vignettes crafted out of found objects, each a clue to the conflicts and obsessions that drove Barney’s lifetime rebellion against authority. A cast of artists, a neurologist, and a shaman connect the clues and piece together Barney’s life.

Barney's Wall

78 mins | Documentary | May 4, 2019

Barney's Wall
What makes a rebel? This 78 minute documentary probes the psyche of bad-boy publisher and free speech warrior Barney Rosset, whose mid-century legal and cultural battles smashed sexual and political taboos in the United States — unleashing the counter-culture of the 1960s and introducing millions of young intellectuals to the most radical currents in literature, film, theater and politics. In his late eighties, coming to terms with his life, Barney Rosset began to obsessively sculpt an autobiographical 15′ x 22′ surreal wall mural, embedded with jewel-like vignettes crafted out of found objects, each a clue to the conflicts and obsessions that drove Barney’s lifetime rebellion against authority. A cast of artists, a neurologist, and a shaman connect the clues and piece together Barney’s life.
Producers FoxHog Productions
Original title Barney's Wall
Directors Williams Cole, Sandy Gotham Meehan
Writers Sandy Gotham Meehan

Cast

Barney Rosset

as Himself (archival footage)

Buster Keaton

as Himself (archival footage)

Samuel Beckett

as Himself (archival footage)

M.M. Serra

as Herself

Phoebe Legere

as Herself

James Fotopoulos

as Himself

David Amram

as Himself

Peter Foges

as Himself

Jan Jönson

as Himself

Malcolm X

as Himself (archival footage)