Jul 11, 2018 at 8:00 pm
Moonlight & Movies: Under the Influence of the Maysles Brothers
This screening is a co-presentation with the Maysles Documentary Center and takes place outdoors at the Museum of the City of New York
Revisit 1960s New York through the eyes of legendary filmmakers Albert and David Maysles as part of the outdoor film screening series, Moonlight & Movies.
As early creators of direct cinema, the Maysles brothers were among the first to capture life as it unfolded before their camera without scripts, sets, or narration. This screening features four of the Maysles’ iconic shorts, including a radical Yoko Ono performance at Carnegie Hall, a portrait of an ascendant IBM, a drop-in visit with Truman Capote at his Long Island retreat, and an indelible encounter with Marlon Brando in a Midtown hotel room. Together, these films capture both the official history and something else: the unguarded moments and unscripted gestures that are the true warp and woof of a historical scene.
The films will be introduced by acclaimed cinematographer and former Maysles Films archivist Sean Price Williams (Listen Up Philip, Iris, Good Time).
In the case of rain, the screening will be moved indoors and take place at the same time.
Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase from Amy’s Bread.
Program
IBM: A Self-Portrait
1964, 35 min.
Told in the Maysles’ unparalleled style, IBM: A Self-Portrait captures the future corporate juggernaut at an early stage of their development. The emphasis here is on the human ingenuity behind the technology industry– the colorful technicians and executives working together to create a future design for living.
Cut Piece
1966, 8 min.
Filmed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Cut Piece documents one of Yoko Ono’s most powerful conceptual pieces. Performed by the artist herself, Ono sits motionless on the stage after inviting the audience to come up and cut away her clothing in a denouement of the reciprocity between victim and assailant.
With Love From Truman
1966, 29 min.
With Love from Truman offers a glimpse into an intimate meeting with renowned author Truman Capote as a reporter interviews him in his beachfront home. Capote shares his “self-regarding” personality complete with calculated jokes and offers insights into his latest book, In Cold Blood, in his endearingly raspy voice.
Meet Marlon Brando
1966, 29 min.
Meet Marlon Brando is a delightful, unusually candid portrait of the world-famous movie star, a tongue-in-cheek confrontation with the press. While television journalists interview Brando about his most recent film, he counters their futile questions with wit and insight, a man unwilling to sell himself.
101 min
