RiP: A Remix Manifesto
Copyleft manifesto
Meg Hewings

RiP: A Remix Manifesto hits the Mayfair

Montreal filmmaker Brett Gaylor’s doc RiP: A Remix Manifesto is the first open-source film to be made about copyright, and is actually more of an ardent manifesto about why Canada – and the world – should be more copyleft.The web activist describes the film as something akin to throwing “a Molotov cocktail in the middle of [the debate over copyright].” He hopes it will galvanize people on all sides of the copyright clash.

Featuring interviews with everyone from a single mom taken to court by the Recording Industry Association of America for illegal downloading to remix DJ Girl Talk, the film features plenty of copyrighted material and is meant to challenge the bounds of fair use.

“A year ago no one had heard of Girl Talk. Recently, he was in a huge Microsoft ad with Jerry Seinfeld. I guess Microsoft doesn’t know he’s flouting the same copyright laws they lobby the world to try and implement!”

The film explores the complexities of intellectual property in the era of Napster, BitTorrent and file sharing. It also features interviews with Lawrence Lessig, who founded Creative Commons, and travels to Brazil to meet Gilberto Gil, a musician and the country’s Minister of Culture, who proves that countries can adopt an open source philosophy in everything from government to music.

“There are a lot of artists who are wondering how they can make a living in a world where anyone can get anything for free, and there are a lot of people unsure of the law. People are going to disagree with me, but that’s great – as long as people begin to talk about this issue, that’s what matters.”

A mash-up in itself, Gaylor has spent the last year editing and compiling the film, inviting everyone to participate in the remix, as well as add original material, at www.opensourcecinema.org.

“The hope is that people will participate in the conversation, continue to help re-edit and remix the film online, and that it will show up in the copies we take with us to future festivals.”

RiP: A Remix Manifesto @ Mayfair Theatre March 27-31