Finding Vivian Maier is a 2013 American documentary film about the photographer Vivian Maier, written, directed, and produced by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel, and executive produced by Jeff Garlin.[3][4][5][6][7]
Finding Vivian Maier | |
---|---|
![]() Promotional poster | |
Directed by |
|
Screenplay by |
|
Produced by |
|
Starring |
|
Narrated by | John Maloof |
Cinematography | John Maloof |
Edited by | Aaron Wickenden |
Music by | J. Ralph |
Production company | Ravine Pictures |
Distributed by | IFC Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 84 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Languages |
|
Box office | $2.2 million[2] |
Maier was a French-American woman who worked most of her life as a nanny and housekeeper to a multitude of Chicago families. She carried a camera everywhere she went,[8] but Maier's photographic legacy was largely unknown during her lifetime. She died in 2009.[9]
The film documents how Maloof discovered her work and, after her death, uncovered her life through interviews with people who knew her. Maloof had purchased a box of photo negatives at a 2007 Chicago auction, then scanned the images and put them on the Internet. News articles began to come out about Maier and a Kickstarter campaign for the documentary was soon underway.[10]
The film had its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2013.[11] It was shown in cinemas, and was released on DVD in November 2014.[12] Upon release, the film received critical acclaim,[13] and won various awards, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 87th Academy Awards.[14]
- John Maloof
- Phil Donahue
- Mary Ellen Mark
- Joel Meyerowitz
- Tim Roth
Critical response
Finding Vivian Maier has an approval rating of 95% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 100 reviews, and an average rating of 7.50/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Narratively gripping, visually striking, and ultimately thought-provoking, Finding Vivian Maier shines an overdue spotlight on its subject's long-hidden brilliance".[15] It also has a score of 75 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]
Accolades
- 2014: Best Documentary Feature, Alaska Airlines Audience Award, Portland International Film Festival.[17]
- 2014: Best New Director Award, Alaska Airlines Audience Award, Portland International Film Festival.[17]
- 2014: Founders Prize for Best Documentary, Traverse City Film Festival.[18]
- 2014: Won (tied with The Overnighters by Jesse Moss) Grand Jury Prize, Knight Documentary Competition, Miami International Film Festival.[19]
- 2014: John Schlesinger Award for Outstanding First Feature, Palm Springs International Film Festival.[20][21]
- 2014: Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 87th Academy Awards.[22][23][24]
- 2014: Nominated for Best Documentary Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America.[25]
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.