Ryan Larkin and Chris Landreth are Alter Egos. Ryan is living every artist's worst nightmare: losing his ability to create and to provide for himself. He panhandles on the street to make ends meet. But more than 30 years ago, he was among the world's most celebrated animators and an Oscar nominee.

Chris, a rising star in animation, is on the opposite trajectory in his career and beginning to experience the kind of adulation Ryan saw decades earlier.

In this poignant study of artists, addiction and creativity, director Laurence Green explores these renowned filmmakers and the reasons for their divergent paths.

What happened to Ryan Larkin? In his award-winning animated documentary Ryan, Chris tells part of the story. Seamlessly incorporating this film in its entirety, and with excerpts of both men's other Oscar-nominated works, Alter Egos delves deeper into the curious tale of Ryan's descent and explores the complex and utterly fascinating relationship that developed between the two men.

Ryan Larkin has sadly passed away in the time since Alter Egos was completed. 

LEARN MORE:
To purchase this film, visit the National Film Board of Canada.
A special edition of Ryan, which includes Alter Egos, is available at Amazon.com.