The "Toynbee Tiles" are a series of 130 known plaques, predominantly found in North American cities and first sighted in the early 1980s, that propagate the following message (see picture attached):
TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOVIE 2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER
The ambiguity of the message and the absence of ownership has long-fuelled an active online community contributing sightings and information that they hope one day will lead to enlightenment. Justin Duerr, the protagonist of Foy's film, is one such fan. First discovering a Toynbee Tile on his mail route, he has spent much of his adult life documenting new sightings and following leads to unravel the mystery.
The online consensus, revealed and substantiated by Duerr, is that the message refers to a society named the 'Minority Association', operating in the early 80s, who advocated historian Arnold Toynbee's belief that 'dead molecules' could be rearranged to bring the dead back to life. Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' is referenced in part due to the use of this mechanism to bring its astronauts back to consciousness in space. The content of the actual message is soon shown however to pale in significance to the intrigue surrounding its creator. Added text found around certain individual tiles points to a troubled, paranoid mind, obsessed with conspiracies (the USSR, NBC, the Mafia to name but three) and fearful for his own life.
Duerr's background is almost as intriguing as that of the artist he is attempting to track down. Growing up in a converted barn, he had two passions; art and pigeons. His art teacher at school, who doted over his every stroke but wished for him to conform, served only to push him to drop out aged 16. Finding himself squatting in the city, Justin needed an occupation; a job as a courier was merely a means to an end, the pursuit of the Toynbee Tiles mystery quickly becomes his real life's work.
With the help of the artist's own archival footage and Foy's cartoon recreations, Duerr traces the arc of his prior investigation to establish what is known about the person responsible for the cryptic tiles. Enlisting the support of two other Toynbee Tile aficionados, long-haired, forum moderator Colin Smith and photographer Steve Weinik, their research narrows the field of 'suspects' down until they are left with just one - the introverted, paranoid owner of a boarded-up home in suburban Philadelphia - nicknamed 'the Birdman' by local kids for his menagerie - and known only to leave in the early hours. With the architect of this decade- long mystery unwilling to come to the door, Foy and Duerr are clearly left with a difficult decision; do they harass the man and hope for a confession, or grant him his wish and leave him alone - with the mystery half-solved but lacking crucial confirmation?
As it happens, much of the film's criticism (it rates only 60-odd percent on RT) is found in the supposed-inconclusiveness of Foy's chosen ending. However, I think it would be a mistake to view the pursuit of the Toynbee Tile creator as for the purpose and resolution of the audience's intrigue; it is much more personal to Duerr. If the man who has spent over a decade unravelling the mystery is content that he has his answer and ready to move on, who are we to demand he digs further?
Perhaps some mysteries are best left as just that?
TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOVIE 2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER
The ambiguity of the message and the absence of ownership has long-fuelled an active online community contributing sightings and information that they hope one day will lead to enlightenment. Justin Duerr, the protagonist of Foy's film, is one such fan. First discovering a Toynbee Tile on his mail route, he has spent much of his adult life documenting new sightings and following leads to unravel the mystery.
The online consensus, revealed and substantiated by Duerr, is that the message refers to a society named the 'Minority Association', operating in the early 80s, who advocated historian Arnold Toynbee's belief that 'dead molecules' could be rearranged to bring the dead back to life. Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' is referenced in part due to the use of this mechanism to bring its astronauts back to consciousness in space. The content of the actual message is soon shown however to pale in significance to the intrigue surrounding its creator. Added text found around certain individual tiles points to a troubled, paranoid mind, obsessed with conspiracies (the USSR, NBC, the Mafia to name but three) and fearful for his own life.
Duerr's background is almost as intriguing as that of the artist he is attempting to track down. Growing up in a converted barn, he had two passions; art and pigeons. His art teacher at school, who doted over his every stroke but wished for him to conform, served only to push him to drop out aged 16. Finding himself squatting in the city, Justin needed an occupation; a job as a courier was merely a means to an end, the pursuit of the Toynbee Tiles mystery quickly becomes his real life's work.
With the help of the artist's own archival footage and Foy's cartoon recreations, Duerr traces the arc of his prior investigation to establish what is known about the person responsible for the cryptic tiles. Enlisting the support of two other Toynbee Tile aficionados, long-haired, forum moderator Colin Smith and photographer Steve Weinik, their research narrows the field of 'suspects' down until they are left with just one - the introverted, paranoid owner of a boarded-up home in suburban Philadelphia - nicknamed 'the Birdman' by local kids for his menagerie - and known only to leave in the early hours. With the architect of this decade- long mystery unwilling to come to the door, Foy and Duerr are clearly left with a difficult decision; do they harass the man and hope for a confession, or grant him his wish and leave him alone - with the mystery half-solved but lacking crucial confirmation?
As it happens, much of the film's criticism (it rates only 60-odd percent on RT) is found in the supposed-inconclusiveness of Foy's chosen ending. However, I think it would be a mistake to view the pursuit of the Toynbee Tile creator as for the purpose and resolution of the audience's intrigue; it is much more personal to Duerr. If the man who has spent over a decade unravelling the mystery is content that he has his answer and ready to move on, who are we to demand he digs further?
Perhaps some mysteries are best left as just that?