Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film
by Maya Deren, Bruce R. McPherson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bruce R. McPherson, Maya DerenEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-01-03
ISBN: 0929701658
Number of pages: 261
Publisher: Documentext
Book Reviews of Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film
Book Review: Essential Film Art
Summary: 5 Stars
Maya Deren, poet, dancer and independent filmmaker, was interested in the emotional essence of a thing and believed that film was the perfect medium to capture it. "Essential Deren," edited by Bruce McPherson, contains the kernel of Deren's artistic philosophy.
Much of what is contained here is a criticism of general cinema -- both fiction and documentary -- as not fully utilizing the almost endless possibilities contained within the film camera. She describes this tool as almost having a life of its own: "The complexity of the camera . . . can inspire its manipulation on the explorative and creative level simultaneously" (from Deren's "An Anagram of Ideas on Art, Form and Film," page 102 of "Essential Deren").
Some of her writing, especially that which explains her artistic philosophy, can be difficult but ultimately rewarding reading for those willing to explore the work of a serious artist. But even those who skim this book cannot fail to hear Deren's clarion call to go out and buy a camera and start making art film (and there are practical chapters on camera manipulation included). She was a true independent who felt that anyone with an artistic sensibility and a film camera could create art vastly superior to that of general cinema.
Summary of Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film
Until now, Maya Deren's essays on the art and craft of filmmaking have not been available in a comprehensive volume equally handy for students, film enthusiasts, and scholars. Essential Deren: Collected Writings on Film contains all of Deren's essays on her own films as well as more general essays on film theory, the relation of film to dance, various technical aspects of film production, the distinction between amateur and professional filmmaking, and the famous 1946 chapbook titled "An Anagram of Ideas on Art, Form and Film," which has been reset here for the first time. There are hard-to-find articles written for magazines and art journals, as well as lectures, Q&A sessions, program notes, and manifestoes. This book will be particularly welcomed by the large audience that saw Martina Kudlacek's documentary, "In the Mirror of Maya Deren," during its theatrical release in the U.S. and Europe in 2002. The importance of Maya Deren's films and writings is further evidenced by the American Film Institute having named its highest award for independent filmmaking the "Maya Deren."History & Criticism Books
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