Free Speech & the Transcendent Journey of Chris Drew, Street Artist

2014· 99 min· Documentary, Crime, History

Chris Drew, street artist and activist, was selling art for $1 in downtown Chicago to protest the Chicago Peddlers Ordinance since he believed Art is Speech, a First Amendment Right. Those charges were dropped and replaced with a serious Class One Felony Eavesdropping charge, for audio recording his own arrest. Nine police officers with a Homeland Security detail arrested him. With 2 pro bono lawyers, he challenged for over 2.5 years in court, The Illinois Eavesdropping Law,which carried a 4 - 15 years in prison if convicted. His case and cause drew nationwide and even international attention. Both traditional and social media covered the unbelievable case of C Drew. This is a true story.

Cast: Chris Drew, Joshua Kutnick, Deborah Drew, Mark Weinberg

Director: Nancy Bechtol