DENVER, CO—Admitting that “hard infrastructure is complicated,” Colorado state officials announced Monday that while they remain unable to fill the rapidly multiplying potholes across state highways, they have successfully expanded a multimillion-dollar subsidy for a Telluride Film Festival documentary exploring the deeper meaning of potholes.
“Fixing roads requires asphalt, labor, and a general sense of competence,” said Department of Transportation spokesperson Lyle Garner. “But funding a poignant, slow-moving film about potholes? That’s something we can really get behind.”
The documentary, tentatively titled Cratered: A Love Letter to What We Refuse to Repair, will reportedly follow several Colorado potholes through the changing seasons as they “speak” to viewers about neglect, resilience, and the suspension systems they’ve destroyed along the way.
Governor Jared Polis praised the initiative as “a bold investment in storytelling,” noting that the film is expected to generate awareness of potholes, which residents had previously only experienced directly while driving over them at 45 miles per hour.
“People think they understand potholes,” Polis said. “But have they truly listened to them?”
Meanwhile, drivers across the state expressed confusion as their vehicles continued to suffer catastrophic damage.
“I hit one on I-70 that felt like a portal to another dimension,” said local resident Mark Ellison. “But I guess it’s good to know someone’s capturing that on 16mm film instead of fixing it.”
Production crews reportedly requested that several particularly large potholes remain untouched for “artistic continuity,” a request the state confirmed it had no intention of denying under any circumstances.
At press time, officials announced plans for a companion documentary examining why the state’s road repair budget had been entirely reallocated to film grants, describing it as “a complex issue best explored through cinema rather than action.”
