Mark Kostabi on Kostabi: Conversation with an Artist

Architecture photographer Gabriele Basilico captures the post-industrial transition of Italian cities. Basilico’s lens turns everyday objects such as chimneys, electricity cables and a telephone pole into aesthetic objects. His work lends aesthetic qualities to places and objects that would not otherwise possess them. A view that was far ahead of its time. Today, industrial heritage is automatically understood to possess value. A group of photography students study and dissect the work of this Italian photographer.

Some people grapple with the moral challenges of treating human beings decently. Others are just… assholes. Inspired by Aaron James’ New York Times bestseller of the same name, this documentary investigates the breeding grounds of contemporary ‘asshole culture’ — and locates signs of civility in an otherwise rude and nasty universe. Venturing into predominantly male domain, this film moves from Ivy League frat clubs to the bratty princedoms of Silicon Valley and the bear pits of international finance. Why do assholes thrive in certain environments? What explains their perverse appeal? And how do they keep getting elected?