Filmmaker Jon Foy seeks the source of the mysterious Toynbee tiles in Philadelphia

THE TOYNBEE tiles are embedded within the very fabric of Philadelphia. Found in seemingly random spots throughout the city, the license-plate-size tiles are etched with a cryptic message: "TOYNBEE IDEAS IN KUbrick's 2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER." The tiles also have been found up and down the East Coast and even in Chile and Argentina.

Many have investigated the mystery behind the tiles. Who placed them? What do they mean? But until the documentary "Resurrect Dead," the only person who knew the answers to those questions was the one placing the tiles.

The Philadelphia Film Society will host a screening and DVD release party for "Resurrect Dead" tonight at the Trocadero. The film debuted at last year's Sundance Film Festival. First-time director Jon Foy, who was working as a housecleaner while shooting and editing the film, won the best-directing award for a U.S. documentary at the venerable festival.

On the surface, "Resurrect Dead" is a simple search for a mysterious, apparent recluse. But the documentary smartly finds its main character in Justin Duerr, who has been searching for the Toynbee tiler since 1994 and is an admitted obsessive. With his sharp, birdlike features, copious tattoos and affable personality, he makes for a compelling central figure.

Duerr met fellow Toynbee fanatics Colin Smith and Steve Weinikas, who are also in the film, via the Internet and the trio set off to reveal the mystery behind the tiler - a journey that took them to the wilds of South Philly, through the work of world historian Arnold J. Toynbee and playwright David Mamet, and beyond.

While the mystery of the Toynbee tiles is enough to drive the narrative, the documentary is augmented by Foy's cinematic vision. Late-night Philadelphia becomes a noirish dreamscape. For some scenes, such as how they believe the Toynbee tiler places his work, Foy turned to animation.

"The real-life case was so bizarre, so we could make a movie that felt unreal," Foy said. "I wanted to use cinematic devices to create a sense of whimsy and magic. There was something really neat about finding this little unexplored corner of the world where you couldn't just go to Wikipedia and get answers. We had to actually hit the streets, and look at the microfiche."

Foy was only an aspiring filmmaker when he met Duerr in 2000. Foy found Duerr's obsession so fascinating, he decided to make a movie about it, though it would be five years before the camera started rolling.

"My memory is so fuzzy, but people who knew me back then say, 'All you would talk about is making this movie,' " Foy said.

Foy began filming without knowing whether anything would come of his passion project. As the movie notes, many others have sought the identity of the Toynbee tiler, and two documentary crews attempted to make their own films but failed.

"We started shooting in 2005 and we got into Sundance in 2010. What people don't realize is the year of success I had was preceded by 5 1/2 years of complete uncertainty," Foy said.

By the time "Resurrect Dead" wrapped in 2007, most, though not all, of the questions had been answered. The ending is left intentionally vague, allowing the movie to be about much more than its central mystery. By focusing on Duerr, "Resurrect Dead" becomes a film about the nature of obsession, empathy and letting go.

Duerr wasn't the only obsessive involved in the documentary. Foy was obsessed with telling this story. While he would sometimes want to throw everything out, Foy would always return to the stacks of tapes piled high on his desk. "That's the upside of doing things on the cheap and doing it DIY," Foy said. "You don't have to please anyone. It's one of those slow and steady processes. I couldn't give up because I couldn't quit my life."

During the day, Foy would clean houses and daydream about the mood of a particular scene or compose a piece of music in his head that would later form the score.

Foy now refers to himself as "a starving artist with a little bit of success." He's working with a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, Elia Petridis, on a feature version of "Resurrect Dead." Foy doesn't want to direct it; he's finished with the Toynbee tiles for now. But he sees narrative films in his future, especially of the sci-fi and fantasy variety. For now, though, Foy predicted, he'll follow up "Resurrect Dead" with another documentary, though he hasn't chosen a subject.

"I'm such a perfectionist," Foy said, "so it's so hard to make up my mind."