One of most fascinating documentaries I’ve seen in a while, Jon Foy’s “Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles” follows fringe artist Justin Duerr of Philadelphia on his admittedly obsessive quest. Like a detective on the trail, Duerr spent years looking for the anonymous artist who was creating and burying these tiles into the pavement in various cities around the world. They contained cryptic messages and so the other inherent part of the puzzle was figuring out the meaning behind those messages. It’s a riveting, dare I say spellbinding experience watching the film unfold. Foy had been cleaning houses to raise money (and subside) while pursuing the making of “Resurrect Dead”. It was a challenge which paid off. Not only was it a hit at Sundance but Doug Block (“51 Birch Street”, “The Kids Grow Up”) signed up as Executive Producer, and then it was shown at the documentary series Stranger Than Fiction, which is how I came to see it.
The slideshow below includes both the post-screening Q&A at the IFC Center and an after-party in the West Village.
