Gray State
Riveting...'A Gray State' provides timely political commentary along with a fascinating true-life crime tale.
Gray State
In 2010 David Crowley, an Iraq veteran, aspiring filmmaker and charismatic, up-and-coming voice in fringe politics, began production on his film 'Gray State.' Set in a dystopian near-future where civil liberties are trampled by an unrestrained federal government, the film’s crowd-funded trailer was enthusiastically received by the burgeoning online community of libertarians, Tea Party activists and members of the nascent alt-right. In January 2015, Crowley was found dead with his family in their suburban Minnesota home. Their shocking deaths quickly become a cause célèbre for conspiracy theorists who speculate that Crowley was assassinated by a shadowy government concerned about a film and filmmaker that was getting too close to the truth about their aims.
Directed by Grizzly Man producer Erik Nelson and executive produced by Werner Herzog, A Gray State combs through Crowley’s archive of 13,000 photographs, hundreds of hours of home video, and exhaustive behind-the-scenes footage of his work in progress to reveal what happens when a paranoid view of the government turns inward — blurring the lines of what is real and what people want to believe.
"Chilling...a harrowing portrait." - Jason Bailey, Flavorwire
"A compelling, highly dramatic piece of documentary filmmaking." - Chris Barsanti, The Playlist
"Donald Trump's embrace of Alex Jones and his InfoWars outlet has gone a long way toward legitimizing the alt-right fringe, a space rife with conspiracy theories about the corruptness of the national media and the dictatorial schemes of the federal government. Together, Jones and Trump (and Trump's right-hand buddy, Steve Bannon) have helped stoke the flames of anti-establishment 'fake news' extremism—and as Erik Nelson's A Gray State makes clear, that sort of fanaticism can lead to tragic consequences for all involved." - Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
Directed by Grizzly Man producer Erik Nelson and executive produced by Werner Herzog, A Gray State combs through Crowley’s archive of 13,000 photographs, hundreds of hours of home video, and exhaustive behind-the-scenes footage of his work in progress to reveal what happens when a paranoid view of the government turns inward — blurring the lines of what is real and what people want to believe.
"Chilling...a harrowing portrait." - Jason Bailey, Flavorwire
"A compelling, highly dramatic piece of documentary filmmaking." - Chris Barsanti, The Playlist
"Donald Trump's embrace of Alex Jones and his InfoWars outlet has gone a long way toward legitimizing the alt-right fringe, a space rife with conspiracy theories about the corruptness of the national media and the dictatorial schemes of the federal government. Together, Jones and Trump (and Trump's right-hand buddy, Steve Bannon) have helped stoke the flames of anti-establishment 'fake news' extremism—and as Erik Nelson's A Gray State makes clear, that sort of fanaticism can lead to tragic consequences for all involved." - Nick Schager, The Daily Beast
Genre
Documentary,
Politics
Runtime
93
Language
English
Director
Erik Nelson
FEATURED REVIEW
Anthony Kaufman, Screen Daily
Everyone loves a conspiracy—which is one of the reasons that A Gray State, a tantalising and fascinating real-life story, makes for compelling viewing. But it’s also supremely timely. Directed by Werner Herzog producer Erik Nelson ('Grizzly Man,' 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams,' 'Into the Abyss'), 'A ...
Played at
Lumiere Music Hall 11.24.17 - 11.30.17
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