This short film is dedicated to the life, work and wonderful mystery of Ms. Vivian Maier. All images and 8mm by Vivian Maier. More of Ms. Maier's remarkable work can be seen at www.vivianmaier... thank you.
Thank you John Maloof, you have done a marvelous job of bringing Vivian Maier to life. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't know about Vivian or her work. Your tireless work is appreciated.
It's called a "short film" so please understand this before you condemn the narrative. I for one am speechless and in complete awe of this "unknown" woman. Sometimes we get lucky and are given gifts at the time we need them most. This, for me, is one of those moments ... one of those gifts.
It takes extraordinary things to make me stop, to reflect my life and the hairs on my arms to stand on end... bless you Vivian, you did it. I am honoured to share a little time with you.
For a self taught photographer she is brilliant. I am thinking of a twin lens myself now, so cool how she gets the shots that I would not even see. Love her work.
This is wonderful and it made me cry. She was an incredible photographer and her comfort in anonymity makes everything even more magical - it's just about doing what you love.
So beautiful - a true homage to an extraordinary woman and the story of her new beginning. Worthy of BBC Radio 4 at its very best - I would love to hear it broadcast and/or televised in the UK.
She was the real deal, like Van Gogh, prolific, uncertain, total genius, not seeking fame, but the need to create art, major kudos to John Maloof for uncovering her hidden treasure of the human experience, and to whom put this slideshow together, bloody fantastic!
she left plenty of audio recordings. these are her spoken words, not inner thoughts. the creator has honored her spirit and profiled her life in the most accurate and respectful way possible.
I also think the tone of the narration is presumptive, its very harsh and it makes her sound like a nasty old hag who is bitter at the world and everything in it. Yes its taken from what is known but how it is presented that is off key.
Very moving. Just today I have discovered Vivian Maier's work. It touches me deeply, for reasons I need to work out. Somehow my childhood in Chicago and the "mystery" of that experience comes to the surface when I see her photos of that city.
Such a genius..and what a pity that she wasn t or didnt want appreciation while alive...such beautiful photographs of teh people in Chicago and New York in the 1950S and 1960S..
The most insane story. This women would have been world famous had she marketed her work. These are some of the most beautifully composed images I have eVer seen. And without major pretentiousness.
beautifully done video, the monologue is a sensitive and thoughtful treatment of an artist of great depth, adding such a personal touch to the startlingly honest photographs, and movies. Beautiful job. thank you.
A gentle aesthete who gives us a bird's eye perspective of time and people gone by. My own ancestors did business in Philadelphia and gave me a child's view of inner city 50's and 60's on their trips downtown. That was when most products were made in the USA. .
To those who complain that this is not actually her words- you're correct but, having just watched 'Finding Vivian Maier' they seem true to her spirit. Do you really think Shakespeare was quoting Julius Caesar in his play of that name? Or that Lew Wallace was quoting Jesus in 'Ben Hur'? It's called 'artistic interpretation,' it's an homage. The details jibe with what is known about her and is examined in John Maloof's excellent film. This was created and posted directly to RU-vid. No one made money off of it, it appears to have been produced strictly to celebrate Ms Maier.
Very touching, sensitive and beautiful, and what beautiful music too. I find Ms Maier a fascinating and interesting person and of course talented photographer. As someone who also travels a slightly eccentric life and outside most people, I can relate perhaps to this wonderful lady. God bless you Vivian, R.I.P.
I remember the first time I watched "Finding Vivian Maier" , and heard how John Maloof aquired Vivian's outstanding photographs ..... ........ for a long time , I thought to myself, I was more intrigued by the mystery of her life than actually admiring her work. Not true - when I revisited her catalog and got reacquainted with her vast number of incredible photos, I quickly realized, it IS and was her talent ! I mean, of course the sense of mystery about her is alluring and irresistible, but aside from that, the photos and the way she approached her art more than stand up as remarkable, once in a lifetime pieces of art, you don't just go out with a camera and willy -nilly , BOOM, start taking shots on her level . as a amateur photographer and having a sibling who does it for a living (even tho his work is not really art, per se) I know a little on the technical aspects of the discipline......
Thanks for sharing. Wonderful photos from a fascinating woman. Pictures that tell of the past and show life as it really was. Add to that this lively narrative voice, I could listen for hours.
Oh Rick! What a wonderful surprise! I've never heard about this film, but the video got me hypnotized! When I was in my twenties I thought I'd be a photographer and turned my bathroom into a dark room, as she did. I like the same things she likes, now I need to see the film. Thanks so much for sharing
I think she was like a lot of other people, me included, who just wanted to take photos and record the things we've seen, the things we have an interest in, so that we can maybe go back at some point in the future and "live" in those scenes again. For me, seeing her photos gives me the chance to live for a while in her shoes, in her time.
The BBC "Imagine" documentary where one child she looked after spoke about Vivian's harshness towards anyone intruding into her life for me makes the voice over seem correct.
The quality of her output, imo, equals the progenitor of street photography, Cartier-Bresson. She, indeed, will re-write street photography history. Maybe, even the question of who was the greatest will be re-written. Cartier-Bresson fans, hold on to your hats.
She was like him in more ways than one, he didn't process or print his pictures and wasn't that interested in the results. It was more to do with the 'doing' of photography, being 'out there'. Beats walking the streets.
Vivian Maier.I love old style photography.In my opinion, she is part of a group of photographers, who stand out from the rest.What she produced will always be considered fresh.Sadly, she took many photos, and never boasted about any of them.In my opinion, she loved taking photos, explains why she left a big pile of undeveloped films.Compared to modern day photography, wish we can go back in time.
Dig it.… in 14 days it will be the 11th anniversary of Miss Meier's departing. This video may serve as a fitting remembrance to a fantastic artist she was and to the Creative Spirit she embodied.
I can relate, as I have 200+ rolls of cherished un processed exposed film in the fridge too... dating back 10+ years or more. We relish the creation rather than the showing of the created. Knowing that I captured something fantastic.. tends to be enough in the moment, and I focus then on what I want to create next.. with the film becoming dust covered mystery! I try to be careful about noting the subject, exposure, processing etc... then sealing in a ziplock and then into the cold. It is in silent hibernation. Digital have become my 'polaroid du jour'.... with many of my known and seen works being those captured with the diji camera... with the secret knowledge that the even better images are in a secret slumber. I can relate to her storage of films totally! -Bigler
I knew her. Met her in North Rogers Park, Chicago, along the lake. She was pretty feeble, pretty out of it when I talked to her while walking along East Lake Terrace. She didn’t know. She was going to be famous. She wanted to take care of older people like my mom but I changed the subject. It was obvious she wasn’t strong enough. I’m very sorry I didn’t pay more attention to her.
Wonderful photographs and a great story....but I don't think we should be giving a voice to someone who was very private and may not have talked or thought like this even if given the opportunity. The personality that comes through the voice is completely fictional, because we do not know what she would have thought about photography or anything else.
Obviously the video represents a fictional point of view. In many instances it may sound not very authentic, in some other instances it may sound close to what Maier would have thought.
Remarkably evocative Bio... So fortunate that Vivian Maier's treasure trove of images did not end-up in some landfill! This begs the question; 'what shall I (or you) leave behind?" H/T Daniel Thorpe
