Hot Docs 2008

This heart-warming bio details the remarkable life of artist and musician Wesley Willis who, despite impossible odds, became an underground icon and hero to many before his untimely death in 2003 at age 40. Wesley, a schizophrenic, grew up in a poor area of Chicago in a broken home. He sought refuge by making incredibly detailed freehand drawings of the expressway and cityscape. As a permanent fixture at a local art supply store, Wesley began making friends. He was an imposing figure: a big, slovenly black man with wild hair and eyes, but an infectious grin. After meeting a musician, Wesley began to write, perform and tour. But fame came at a cost. On tour Wesley often forgot to look after himself and his mental illness. By the time he died, he had made 50 albums and thousands of drawings. Interviews with Wesley, friends and family, along with footage from his live performances, paint an absorbing portrait of a loveable man who found happiness in creativity.
-Shannon Abel

Co-presented with North by Northeast Music and Film Festival and Conference