OBSCENE aka OBSCENE: A PORTRAIT
OF BARNEY ROSSET AND GROVE PRESS

Year: 2007
USA: Arthouse Films
UK: Revolver Entertainment
Cast: Barney Rosset, Gore Vidal, John Waters, John Sayles, Al Goldstein, Jim Carroll, Erica Jong, Ray Manzarek, Amiri Baraka, Lenny Bruce, William S Burroughs
Directors: Neil Ortenberg, Daniel O'Conner
Country: USA
USA & UK: 97 mins
UK Certificate: N/C
USA Release Date: 26 September 2008 (Limited Release - New York)
UK Release Date: 27 February 2009 (Limited Release - London, ICA)
ICA

Synopsis

The definitive film biography of Barney Rosset, the influential publisher and defender of freedom of expression. Not only was Rosset - through his imprint Grove Press - the first American publisher of Samuel Beckett, Kenzaburo Oe, Tom Stoppard, Che Guevara and Malcolm X, he also battled the government in the highest courts to overrule the obscenity ban on works including Lady Chatterley's Lover, Tropic of Cancer and Naked Lunch.

OBSCENE is a stirring and provocative portrait, featuring previously unseen footage and music by Bob Dylan, The Doors and Patti Smith.