PUBLIC was based on a poem written by filmmaker Arthur Dong in 1969 and marks his debut as an artist whose work continues to delve into the politics and human tragedy of social injustice. Produced, directed, written, edited, and photographed by Arthur for less than fifty dollars, this raw, animated film combines words from his poem with pixilated images to explore a child’s reactions to authoritative social mores and the Viet Nam War.

Ultimately, PUBLIC is a deeply disturbing commentary on repression and the state of violence in America – a theme he revisits almost 30 years later in his 1997 film on murderers of gay men, Licensed to Kill.

Note: This film is currently not available for general release.

Producer, Director, Editor, Writer, Animator
Arthur Dong