The new message chosen by artist Christian Robert-Tissot for the Plaza’s illuminated sign evokes a work of rebellion, featuring a line taken from the cult film Easy Rider.
Directed by Dennis Hopper in 1969, Easy Rider is a landmark film of American counterculture. Hopper plays Billy, who travels alongside Wyatt, portrayed by Peter Fonda. This duo of bikers—addicted to both the open road and drugs—crisscrosses the United States in search of absolute freedom, navigating between psychedelic trips and bitter disillusionment. Along the way, they encounter Jack Nicholson in an unforgettable performance as George Hanson, an eccentric alcoholic lawyer.
This hallucinatory road trip traverses an America stripped of its myths—a head-on collision between the libertarian ideals of the 1960s and the latent violence of a society that rejects anything outside the norm. In the face of irreconcilable differences, we are met with breathtaking landscapes and the silent beauty of the surrounding emptiness. The entire journey is underscored by an exceptional soundtrack that mirrors the narrative’s arc, from the liberating roar of Born to Be Wild to the soaring, twilight tones that mark the end of the voyage.
This road movie captures a generation in rupture, shaped by the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy, and by the Vietnam War. A pivotal film in cinema history, Easy Rider heralded the beginning of a new Hollywood wave, proving that an independent film made on a modest budget could achieve tremendous critical and commercial success. Upon its release, it was awarded the Best First Work Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Discover the full Contre-Plongée series by Christian Robert-Tissot, launched in December 2020. The sign’s message is updated every three months until the official opening of the Plaza Centre Cinéma in late 2026.
Photo credit: Nicolas Lieber