In this “lyrical documentary about the intersection of location and imagination” (The New York Times), filmmaker Chiara Clemente shines a light on five women artists whose inspiration is fueled by living in the “cauldron of creativity” – New York City. Although these artists are at different stages of life and have diverse cultural backgrounds, distinctive passion, character, motivation and style, they all have one thing in common: the city that they now call home and find inspiration within.

From the studio to the streets of New York, from the canals of Venice to the alleys of Cairo and the beaches of Phuket, director Chiara Clemente takes us deep into the worlds of Nancy Spero, who was at the forefront of the feminist movement and whose work continues to question the polemics of sexual identity and warfare; Marina Abramovic, a pioneer of performance art who uses her own body as a canvas to respond to contemporary cultural issues; Kiki Smith, who addresses philosophical, social and spiritual aspects of the human body; Ghada Amer, who paints erotic canvases in traditional needle and thread to question "institutionalized feminism"; and Swoon, one of New York's most promising artists, whose arresting and fugitive street art transmits the pulse of urban life.

An affecting love letter to the city of New York, OUR CITY DREAMS strings together the extraordinary narratives of these artists with a passion for art-making and devotion to their city.  

Chiara Clemente has been making documentaries on art and artists since 2000. Her work includes THREE WORLDS: A PORTRAIT OF FRANCESCO CLEMENTE and short films on Frank Gehry, Jim Dine and Brice Marden, as well as shorts commissioned by W Magazine, Saatchi and Saatchi and The New York Times.
 
“An intimate portrait of five women artists.” - VOGUE

“Exquisitely crafted... The film itself quite simply ranks as a work of art.” - VARIETY

“A first-rate portrait of great artists. Impressive!”
- NEW YORK MAGAZINE

“Vibrant, illuminating, tantalizing!” - PAPER MAGAZINE

“Filled with gorgeous shots of New York and from-the-heart discussions of artistry and inspiration, this wide-ranging appreciation is a glimpse into the artistic process.”  
- NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Born deaf in 1899 in rural Idaho – only nine years after that frontier territory was admitted to the Union – James Castle mined the local landscape of his family's homesteads and his own deeply private world to produce an astonishing body of drawings, collages, and constructions which eventually gained worldwide recognition.

Jeffrey Wolf's acclaimed film reveals Castle’s life and creative process, as told by family members, art historians, curators, artists, collectors, and members of the deaf community. This inspirational story of a true Outsider Artist is a remarkable example of the triumph of the spirit – and the imagination.

“An excellent film.”
- PAULA FROSCH, METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

“Evocative, beautifully shot and absorbing, with a refreshing lack of sentimentality.” - ART IN AMERICA

“Castle’s life is truly inspirational, and his art can be sublime: a fierce creative vision fueled by determination and endless patience. The life must emerge in the art, and in this film it does so eloquently.” - PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER