Project Description . Filmmakers

GARDEN IN TRANSIT: the movie is a journey-based documentary that follows the trials and progress of two visionary brothers in their efforts to change the landscape of New York City, one taxi at a time. Beginning in September 2007 and until year's end, New York City was visually transformed, as the ubiquitous yellow icon became a mobile artistic canvas or -- "Garden in Transit."

Continuing their use of art and poignant visual imagery for large-scale projects of social consequence (previous projects have included Nascar race cars, airplanes and the country’s largest passenger blimp), the Massey brothers, with the help of thousands upon thousands of NYC children in schools and hospitals, are aspiring to their largest canvas yet. With thousands more adults volunteering to lend a hand for what Mayor Bloomberg describes as a "mammoth, once-in-a-lifetime effort," Garden In Transit may be the most ambitious community collaboration and public art project in the Nation’s history.

Inspired by the vertical nature of New York City, the brothers envisioned looking down on the streets from above and seeing a moving work of art. GARDEN IN TRANSIT: the movie will follow the journey of their current project, and the Masseys’ efforts to change the face of the City for four short months by transforming one of its most recognizable icons: the New York City taxi cab.

FILMMAKERS:

CHRISTINA ALEXANDRA VOROS  - CO-DIRECTOR / DP

Currently a Dean’s Fellow in cinematography at NYU’s Tisch School of the Art’s Graduate Department of Film and Television, Ms. Voros’ careers prior to filmmaking have included that of a stage actor, restaurateur and nationally-ranked saber fencer. The only member of her family not to be born in Hungary, Christina was raised in Cambridge, MA, where she later attended Harvard University. In 2006 she was awarded a Graduate Assistantship in cinematography, teaching under Tony Jannelli- whom she has continued to assist on projects with Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese. Her first documentary short, The Ladies, was nominated for a Student Academy Award in 2006. Recent projects include campaign videography for Sen. John Edwards and additional photography for Kristi Zea’s feature documentary on the life of artist Elizabeth Murray. Current projects include the direction of 2 feature length documentaries shot in India – Children of Ambedkar, a film about the Untouchables in Mumbai and Jogini – Sex or Culture, a meditation on ritualized prostitution in rural Andhra Pradesh. More about Christina Voros: www.christinavoros.com


SERGEI KRASIKAU  -  CO-DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

Born in Belarus, Sergei Krasikau began his career in documentary storytelling as a journalist for his nation’s largest independent newspaper. Upon arriving in the US seeking political asylum in 2000, Mr. Krasikau apprenticed to German filmmaker Karola Ritter, (regular contributor to Maysles, Pennebaker and Barbara Kopple documentaries) on The Last Piece, a documentary feature on the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton. Covering the anti-war movement on Long Island, Sergei worked extensively with civil rights legend Bob Zellner. Later credits include several projects with Mohammed Naqvi, US principal photography for Shame a SHOWTIME documentary on ritual gang rape in Pakistan, producing several highly successful short films (100+ festivals, over dozen awards), line producing several independent US and Russia-US co-production features for major Russian networks and studios. Current projects include 2 feature length documentaries shot in India – Children of Ambedkar, a film about the Untouchables in Mumbai and Jogini – Sex or Culture, a meditation on ritualized prostitution in rural Andhra Pradesh. More about Sergei Krasikau: www.skrasikau.com