Almost There

Filmmakers Dan Rybicky and Aaron Wickenden discovered Peter Anton by accident as the latter was drawing portraits of passersby during an Indiana pierogi festival. Upon closer examination of Anton's work, the filmmakers believed that they had stumbled upon a major under-the-radar presence in the realm of outsider art. Anton turned out to be very far under the radar: he lived in poverty in a dilapidated home in East Chicago, IN, that lacked heat and electricity. In fact, Anton's creative output—paintings and autobiographical scrapbooks—were in danger of being destroyed by the hazardous conditions in his home. While working on a biographical documentary about Anton's life, the filmmakers worked to preserve and restore much of his work and arrange for a solo exhibit at a Chicago gallery. But the last-second discovery of a serious criminal charge in Anton's past nearly derails both the exhibit and the film project. Almost There offers a fascinating lesson in what happens when nonfiction filmmakers become too closely entwined with their subjects. And, to be blunt, the filmmakers are clearly exploiting Anton long before any serious effort is made to rescue him from his miserable living conditions. A provocative and often disturbing production, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)