Keith Wilson’s Moore for Sale blends live performance and documentary to honor artist Frank Moore while cleverly showcasing the struggles of filmmaking, from funding setbacks to legal hurdles, with humor and resilience.
As part of the IDFA on Stage program, I got to see the live documentary performance Moore for Sale by Keith Wilson (USA, 45 minutes, 2023). A long time ago, Wilson discovered the work of and meets Frank Moore (1946-2013), a celebrated artist and wheelchair user with a cerebral palsy. In 2017, Wilson decides to make a film about Moore, though in this live documentary, he shares the obstacles he came across along the way.
The performance is done as a presentation using Keynote. Wilson takes place behind a lectern and introduces us to Frank Moore. He shows one of Moore’s university projects, where he is being fed with a spoon and eats what looks like oatmeal while lying on the floor. Because of his cerebral palsy, the scene, that’s shot in black and white, is uncomfortable to watch. This is exactly what Moore wanted, according to Wilson.
As he continues his presentation, we see more of Moore’s life, mostly his erotic side. We discover Moore is a shaman, TV host, commune leader and that a lot of people look up to him. Wilson tells us he received twelve hard drives from Moore’s family, he’s allowed to use for the film.
As he starts making the film, he comes across the bureaucracy in the world of film, mostly through denied funding. Because of these financial reasons, it takes longer and longer to finish the film. As his keynote crashes and his laptop glitches, all on purpose, Wilson takes us through this process. Soon after an impromptu call with his mother, his laptop actually dies and as the audience waits for technical help, I can’t help but think this has to be one of the biggest nightmares a filmmaker can endure.
When his laptop is up-and-running again, Wilson continues his presentation. He receives texts from his lawyer that the is not allowed to use some of the material, as the characters have not given permission, and this violates the law of privacy. His solution is to pick someone in the audience to hide the faces and nudity with a big plant. After about a minute, Siri appears with some unhelpful suggestions. Wilson smashes his hard drive with another plant and storms out. It is unclear whether this is the ending, but as the theatre crews hands out a relic – a part of the hard drive – to every audience member, the audience starts applauding.
This clever way of sharing the struggles filmmakers deal with while producing their films, is also a way for Wilson to continue Moore’s legacy. From what Wilson shares about Moore, I assume Moore would be happy with this format. Some of the feedback I hear from the audience is that Moore’s work is not for them, though they do find the live documentary format very entertaining. Wilson’s humour is very American, and I must agree with that, though it did not bother me. It goes without saying that documentaries are personal, not every film is for everyone. Even if I would not have chosen to watch the film about Frank Moore, I appreciate this live documentary very much. It shows Wilson’s perseverance and resilience, but it also shows sometimes you must look at other options to make your vision a success.
