Documentaries, old and new, with stills and notes for students, makers, and observers of documentary film and video. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Barbara Leibovitz
Barbara Leibovitz, taking advantage of seemingly unfettered access to her subject, films her older sister in the public television American Masters program, Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens (2006). The flattering and family-infused documentary parks itself miles away from critical thinking and controversy, while showing some of the more lasting and worthwhile aspects of Leibovitz's career. Two notable examples are her months-long photo documentation of the Rolling Stones 1975 tour (top and middle stills) and her deep interest in taking pictures of dancers and choreographers (Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris -- bottom still).