Route One/USA

In the compelling epic *Route One/USA*, Kramer and his friend Doc (Paul McIsaac)—both American exiles—embark on a journey from the beginning to the end of Route 1, from Maine to Florida. Doc steps into a series of private worlds that reveal themselves to the camera, sometimes in a "practiced" manner—as if cameras had been there before (a self-important community spokesperson in Bridgeport, Connecticut; a barker outside the “Tragedy in U.S. History Museum” in St. Augustine, Florida), and sometimes as a hard, unfamiliar time capsule (a representative of the Penobscot Nation in Maine reflecting on her life). The theme of rebellion runs through the film: the rebellion of colonists against England, the South against the North, and children against parents. Themes of parent/child relationships, historical legacy, and memory are intertwined with cinema and photography. Kramer floods us with objects, conversations, and information, yet his images also convey a longing for distance and transcendence. (Chris Fujiwara)

Courtesy of Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art

Photo: Austrian Film Museum