Documentary 'Missing People' Explores Art Dealer's Quest Through Unsolved Murder and Outsider Drawings

The documentary 'Missing People,' directed by David Shapiro, centers on Martina Batan, an art gallery director, as she delves into the stories of two individuals who have passed away. This film, which earned the Best Documentary award at the Hamptons International Film Festival in the fall of 2015, will be shown at DOC NYC on Sunday, November 15, 2015, at 7:15 PM at Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas, and again on Wednesday, November 18, at 5:15 PM at IFC Center. Martina gathers approximately 200 drawings from Roy Ferdinand, an African-American artist from New Orleans, who depicted local crime and societal decline before Hurricane Katrina. She visits his sisters, Fay and Michele, to gain insight into his life while simultaneously investigating the unresolved murder of her brother, Jeffery Batan, whose remains were discovered near their Queens home in 1978. To seek new information about her brother's case, Martina, a former freshman at the School of Visual Arts, engages a private investigator in New York. The film blends contemporary footage with archival material, addressing themes of emotional emptiness and the search for meaning. Shapiro's direction skillfully intertwines Martina's personal challenges with a dynamic narrative that captivates the audience through various life aspects.