Filmmakers

Filmmakers

Synopsis

"This is a film portrait of the filmmakers in whom I was most interested at the time: Stan Brakhage, Stan Vanderbeek, Jack Smith, Jonas Mekas, and Andy Warhol, as well as myself. I shot it during my first visit to the US, in 1966-68, then completed it in Japan in 1969. I added my own 'comment' by emphasizing selected words by simultaneously juxtaposing with the images, as often occurs during foreign language lessons. Each of the filmmakers appears for about 5 minutes (about 200 feet of film) except myself (with only 50 feet). The editing was done in the camera, and much of it was shot without using a viewfinder. Many scenes were intended to use techniques particularly associated with the filmmaker. For example, those featuring Jonas Mekas, incorporated the frame by frame techniques which he often employed in his work. A private yet historical document of the filmmakers in 1960s." – Takahiko Iimura