The wild and wonderful world of Shirley Clarke

She never got the recognition she deserved and that had probably something to do with the adventurous and totally unconventional lifestyle she chose for herself. Born to an upper crust family, Shirley Clarke never managed to slip into the settled existence her privileged upbringing offered, nor rise to the demands of her social circle, so she decided to start her own revolution by opting for Bohemia. Initially finding inspiration in dance, she studied with masters like Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey, until she met her destiny the first time she got hold of a small Bolex camera. Infiltrating the avant- garde, she and experimental film pioneer Jonas Mekas founded the New American Cinema Group and, sometime later, they recruited Albert Maysles and D.A. Pennebaker, into a film collective that helped John Cassavetes – among others - make his first (now emblematic) film "Shadows" in 1958. With "The Connection", her first radical feature made in 1961, she broke all the rules, giving a voice to the unseen side of American life while standing up to a male dominated world that considered the idea of a female filmmaker preposterous. Her legacy includes two brilliant features ("The Connection" and "The Cool World"), a series of beautiful expressionistic shorts and two unforgettable documentaries: one about radical jazz musician Ornette Coleman and one about great American poet Robert Frost, which earned her an Oscar. The 21st Athens International Film Festival salutes her, introducing audiences to her work through a series of restored prints.

Loukas Katsikas

Filmography

1985 Ornette: Made in America
1978 Mysterium; Initiation
1967 Portrait of Jason (Documentary)
1963 Robert Frost: A Lover's Quarrel with the World (Documentary)
1963 The Cool World
1962 The Connection
1960 Skyscraper (Short documentary)
1960 A Scary Time
1958 Bridges-Go-Round (Short)
1957 Brussels Loops (Short)
1956 Moment in Love (Short)
1955 Bullfight (Short)
1954 In Paris Parks (Short)
1953 Dance in the Sun (Short)

Publication date: 2015-09-19 00:00:00

Portrait of Jason

Jason Holliday is a black, homosexual street hustler, who struggles for survival in a world that constantly marginalizes him. This ad hoc one-man-show prompted Ingmar Bergman to declare it the most incredible film he had ever seen.

Ornette: Made in America

If you're looking for a conventional documentary, then you're in the wrong place. In one of the best films of its kind, Clarke highlights free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman, turning his confessions, his vision, his fantasies and his live performances into a feverish, spectacular portrait.

Robert Frost: A Lovers Quarrel with the World

Highly sought-after and out of circulation for years, this Oscar-winning documentary was the subject of a long court battle that eventually vindicated Clark, chronicling both the public and the private life of one of America's most celebrated literary figures.

The Cool World

Vividly and spontaneously shot in the streets of Harlem, with expressive young actors and an improvised jazz score by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Mingus, this impressively naturalistic landmark film of the American independent cinema still rings poetic.

The Connection

A group of African-American junkies are waiting for their connection, while a domineering filmmaker is trying to turn their agony into big screen fodder. Shirley Clarke orchestrates a controversial gem that would change independent cinema forever, winning her an award at Cannes and her own special place in film history.