In 1979, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude proposed one of the largest public art installations in history: a “golden river” of 7,503 fabric-paneled gates in Central Park.

Transcending controversy, it was finally completed in 2005. Antonio Ferrera and Albert Maysles’ film chronicles the artists’ twenty-six year commitment to transform the winter darkness of the iconic park into a garden of light and colour.

Weaving together archival interviews with committees, politicians and on-site conversations with visitors, the film ultimately poses the question: what is art?

History of The Gates Film

In 1980 David and Albert Maysles began filming Christo and Jeanne-Claude as they proposed The Gates project to the City of New York. The recording of these debates and discussions continued until the project was declined one year later in 1981 and the footage was vaulted uncut for 23 years.

In 2004 Mayor Michael Bloomberg granted Christo and Jeanne- Claude permission to realize their vision of transforming Central Park into a public exhibition that would attract over four million visitors over two weeks. The production brought together the best of New York City’s film community resulting in a chronicle of two visionary artists, a mayor and patron of the arts, and a public
divided over the relevance or definition of art.

The Gates film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival as the Gala screening.