The prince of do-it-yourself cinema

Born and raised in the grand tradition of American indie cinema, Sean Baker regarded Dogma 95 as a personal revelation that liberated him from all artistic constraints. Not that the lack of budget had ever stopped him from wanting to make films. Sworn to directing his own scripts only, he weaves stories that reflect contemporary American reality, pushing people normally condemned to live in the shadows into the limelight, far from melodrama and stereotypes. His characters, illegal immigrants, slumdogs, con artists, porn stars and transgender streetwalkers, are people who fight for a better future, staking their claim on love, companionship and acceptance against all odds. Working with few yet faithful collaborators, amateur actors, un- tainted sets, absurdly low budgets and a light camera unit, Sean Baker has conjured up his own universe, with a trademark documentary-like realism and swift camera work. His films have steadily gained more exposure on the international festival circuit, until "Tangerine" swept everyone off their feet. No other American filmmaker of his generation has managed to fly the guerrilla flag so high in the era of digital technology and cheap cameras. Sean Baker is proof that DIY cinema is not a cheap imitation of the big-screen glamour we're used to consuming, but an alternative model of never-ending possibilities.

Nektarios Sakkas

Φιλμογραφία / Filmography

2015 Tangerine
2012 Starlet
2008 Prince of Broadway
2004 Take Out
2000 Four Letter Words