Despite assurances from local municipalities, a fact of life is that Manholes blow sky high more frequently than most people realize. Manhole 452 directs the viewer’s attention to the shapes, sizes and patterns of manhole covers on Geary Street in San Francisco, and then plunges deep below into the manholes themselves to explore the hidden threat that lies below.
The fictionalized film is a first person narrative, drawn from documentary interviews and research, that follows the reflections of a middle age man who's car was hit from below by an exploding manhole. He is now forced to ride the 38 Geary Limited bus for the entire length of the street (from the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay) to his job fitting prosthetic limbs. His narrative explores an obsession with calculating odds and the possibility of miracles, amid the presence of random violent occurrences.
"Finley and Muse construct a darkly lyrical hybrid of rumination and documentation, so slightly tinted with humor as to leave viewers wondering whether the perceive it or imagine it."
-- Kenneth Baker, SF Chronicle
Note: This title is intended by the artist to be viewed in High Definition. While DVD format is available to enable accessibility, VDB recommends presentation on Blu-ray or HD digital file.