In the Mirror of Maya Deren

Colour, 35mm
Austria, Germany, Switzerland, 2001, 103 min
Section: Documentary Films in Competition

Synopsis

A fascinating documentary about the life and work of experimental filmmaker Maya Deren, a legendary figure on the American post-war cultural scene. Born in Kiev in 1917 as Eleanora Derekowsky, five years later she was forced to flee a pogrom with her parents and ended up in America. After the Second World War she became one of the most famous and most controversial figures of the avant-garde movement. This film by Martina Kudláček, who made the exceptional documentary L’Amour fou/Ludvík Šváb, reconstructs the myth and mystery surrounding this talented artist and voodoo priestess. Unique archive material is introduced by figures from the cultural world, colleagues and friends of Maya Deren (Alexander Hammid, Katherine Dunham, Stan Brakhage, Jonas Mekas, Judith Malina, Amos Vogel). The original music for the film was domposed by John Zorn.

About the director

Martina Kudláček (b. 1965, Vienna) studied theatre science, German philology and art history at university in Vienna. In 1995 she graduated in documentary filmmaking from Prague’s Film Academy (FAMU). She worked with the Viennese photo-gallery, she made experimental films on Super-8, 16mm and video. She also took part in the European Documentary Film Workshop/VISIONS (1994-1995). In 1997 she lectured at the Kunsthochschule für Medien in Cologne. Filmography: Positivita (1994), Maelström der Melancholie (1995), L´amour fou/Ludvík Šváb (1995), Aimless Walk /Alexander Hammid (1996), Die letzten Helden (1997), In the Mirror of Maya Deren (2001).