In the Mirror of Maya Deren (2001)

☆ ☆ ☆

In the Mirror of Maya Deren (2001) – M. Kudlácek

There’s less analysis and more character judgment than I would have hoped in this documentary about the famed experimental filmmaker who began work in the 1940s.  However, the recordings of her own lectures do add to a viewer’s understanding of some of her work.  The talking heads are also well chosen (co-director and ex-husband Alexander Hammid, Jonas Mekas, Stan Brakhage, Katherine Dunham, Chao Li Chi, Amos Vogel).  Of course, I wouldn’t recommend this to those who haven’t seen Deren’s films – it’s kind of like reading a book review without reading the book!  Nevertheless, the brief clips of Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), At Land (1946), Meditation on Violence (1949), and The Very Eye of Night (1958) proved these films to be as beguiling as ever and an influence on so much which came afterward.  Kudlácek’s documentary is certainly well put together, dutifully reviewing Deren’s life, from immigration at age 5 to privileged upbringing, beginnings in Los Angeles, and then the bohemian art life in Greenwich Village with some intermittent visits to Haiti where she became infatuated with Vodoun and the music and culture of the people there (resulting in a book and subsequent footage).  In retrospect, Kudlácek probably made the most engaging film possible (barring full inclusion of Deren’s own shorts) with the materials at hand and the lengthy time that had passed. I guess I’m always hungering for something deeper, a key to unlock everything, which will never just be handed over -- and that’s probably for the best, since mystery is at the heart of Deren’s work.