A Chat with Gus Van Sant in Celebration of Dead Man's Wire

Join Book Soup and Die Plek Gallery as they celebrate the release of the film, Dead Man's Wire, from Academy Award-nominated director, Gus Van Sant.

Van Sant will be joined by Katya Tylevich, author of Gus Van Sant: The Art of Making Movies, to discuss the new film.

Your ticket includes a copy of Gus Van Sant: The Art of Making Movies signed by Van Sant and Tylevich. The first 20 attendees will receive an exclusive copy of the Dead Man's Wire script written by Austin Kolodney.

Die Plek Gallery is showcasing the first U.S. exhibition of Van Sant's photographic works in over a decade. Some of these portraits were taken in the 1980s and 1990s while casting his provocative and pioneering films Mala Noche, Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, and To Die For. After the discussion, Book Soup and Die Plek invite you to peruse the gallery to view these stunning portraits.

**Please note that this event is NOT a screening of the movie. This event is standing room only. If you need to make accessibility accommodations, please reach out to [email protected].

ABOUT THE FILM

On February 8, 1977, Tony Kiritsis entered the office of Richard Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and took him hostage with a sawed-off shotgun wired with a "dead man's wire" from the trigger to Tony's own neck.

Dead Man’s Wire is the fascinating true story of the 1977 kidnapping that turned aspiring Indianapolis entrepreneur Tony Kiritsis into an eccentric outlaw folk hero, directed by Academy Award®–nominated filmmaker Gus Van Sant. Starring Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, Colman Domingo, and Al Pacino, and written by Austin Kolodney.

American filmmaker, photographer, visual artist and painter Gus Van Sant has been lauded for his experimental, independent projects and mainstream productions alike--from the acclaimed Drugstore Cowboy (1989) and My Own Private Idaho (1991) to Oscar-winning films such as Good Will Hunting (1997) and Milk (2008). In 2003, Elephant won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Both an indie auteur and Hollywood subversive, Van Sant is known for focusing on marginalized and isolated characters. His practice of photography focuses on people’s personality and the disarming simplicity of his portraits underline Van Sant’s rare sensitivity and deep understanding of people.

Katya Tylevich is an arts and fiction writer. She is author of Marina Abramović: A Visual Biography, Gus Van Sant: The Art of Making Movies, Art Oracles, Success Oracles, many book and monograph contributions, essays and interviews, and co-author of My Life as a Work of Art. Notable artist collaborations include The Marina Abramović Method Cards, the text for Michaël Borremans' The Money, The Acrobat, and (forthcoming) A Confrontation at The Zoo; as well as projects with Barry McGee, Todd Hido, and Espen Dietrichson. Katya spent years as contributing editor and writer for publications such as Elephant, Mark, Frame, Domus, and Pin-Up. With her brother Alexei she co-founded Friend & Colleague, a platform for editions, fiction and special projects. Her new book with Maurizio Cattelan forthcoming 2026.

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