Saturday 7 March 2015

OBIT - ALBERT MAYSLES


That most acclaimed of documentarians, the inimitable Albert Maysles, has died. He passed at night on Thursday, the 5th of March 2015. Born in 1926 in Boston but raised in Brooklyn, Albert suffered from learning disabilities as a child, but learned to use the unique perspective on life that this afforded him upon his venture into filmmaking as an adult. Although his first feature was 1955's Psychiatry in Russia, his first with his brother David was 1957's Youth in Poland. Prior to David's death in 1987, the siblings collaborated on 19 titles including classics such as Gimme Shelter and Grey Gardens. Since then, Albert has continued to make films, also serving as cinematographer on more projects than as director, with his most recent being last year's Iris; a new feature, In Transit, on which he served as one of five directors, is scheduled to receive its world premiere next month at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. Among the accolades received during his life are a National Endowment of the Arts, presented to Maysles by President Barack Obama, two Primetime Emmy Awards, two awards from the Sundance Film Festival and three from the International Documentary Association, including a Career Achievement Award. This beloved filmmaker will be much missed by many, including his wife, Gillian, and their four children.

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