Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
Director
Martina Kudlácek
Cast
Maya Deren,
Stan Brakhage,
Judith Malina,
Alexander Hammid,
Chao Li Chi,
Miriam Arsham
Genre
Documentary
Documentary about the life of avant-garde writer, artist, and filmmaker Maya Deren. After creating the groundbreaking avant-garde film, “Meshes of the Afternoon” Deren would go on to lead the independent film movement of the 1940s, and influence a generation of alternative artists.
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
In the Mirror of Maya Deren, creatively written and directed by Martina Kudlacek, is an eloquent memorial to her unique accomplishments -- and an excellent introduction for those who have yet to discover them.
Film Threat by Phil Hall
Offers a remarkable tribute to one of the few people who genuinely deserves to be known as a pioneer of filmmaking. In the genre of films about films, In the Mirror of Maya Deren is among the best.
Chicago Reader by Jonathan Rosenbaum
This 2002 German documentary (in English) by Marta Kudlacek is the best portrait of an experimental filmmaker that I know.
Boston Globe by Janice Page
Intimidated by the words "avant-garde film"? Then hand yourself over, without reservation, to the skills of documentarian Martina Kudlacek and her astonishingly accessible primer, In the Mirror of Maya Deren.
The New York Times by Dave Kehr
Rather than a feminist martyr, her film presents an artist with a rich body of work, one who still fascinates and continues to cast a wide influence.
Variety by David Stratton
This well researched, detailed examination of the life and work of the legendary avant-garde filmmaker, writer and dancer, Maya Deren, should provoke renewed interest in her -- she emerges as a beautiful, willful, wayward talent with an exceptional vision and a great love for life and for the avant-garde world.
New York Post by V.A. Musetto
It presents a reverential and loving portrait of Deren while remaining breezy, informative and entertaining.
New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman
Kudlácek's primary focus, however, is on Deren's work, which means we don't learn enough about her complex, fascinating personality. On the other hand, she's offering a too-rare opportunity to see substantial portions of Deren's seminal films.
San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann
Not only celebrates Deren's cinematic legacy but also reveals a gifted talent whose explosive temperament was at odds with the lyrical, dreamlike imagery she put on screen.
Village Voice by J. Hoberman
Annotating excerpts from the movies with oral history, Kudlacek's film is a well-wrought introduction not just to Deren but an under-leveraged chunk of the art world.
TV Guide Magazine by Maitland McDonagh
Informative documentary.
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