Quality of Life

Running time: 85 mins

Quality of Life is a poignant tale of creative passion about the need to curb an obsession in order to conform to the demands of society. Director Benjamin Morgan journeys into a world typically seen only on buses and concrete, while inhabiting a subculture that is often thought to exist in the darkness of alleyways and rooftops.

Michael and Curtis are 20-year-old graffiti artists and best friends who have been sharing their brilliant art with the citizens of San Francisco for ten years. Known to the police only by their reputations and tag names, "Heir" and "Vain," they are two of the most audacious artists around. But when they finally get busted and faced with the prospect of serving time, a personal crisis for both of them ensues. Faced with restitution and the prospect of serving hard time, Heir and Vain struggle to maintain their creative passion at any cost; not only their artwork, but also their friendship, depends on the outcome.

Co-written by director Morgan and actor Brian Burnam (Vain) - himself deeply connected to the street art subculture of San Francisco - Quality of Life features the astounding beauty of actual art from leading graffiti artists. Both moving and universal, it is an incredible story of outcasts trying to capture the respect of a society that doesn't want them.

Sandy Wolf

EMERGING MAVERICKS & NEW VISIONS