David Maysles

Ozawa

This intimate portrait of the legendary conductor Seiji Ozawa focuses on the Japanese master and teacher's career, his advocacy of modern composers and the behind-the-scenes world of the symphony orchestra.

The Prince and the Showgirl

An American showgirl becomes entangled in political intrigue when the Prince Regent of a foreign country attempts to seduce her.

Bus Stop

Cowboys Beauregard Decker and Virgil Blessing attend a rodeo in Phoenix, where Decker falls in love with beautiful cafe singer Cherie. He wants to take Cherie back to his native Montana and marry her, but she dreams of traveling to Hollywood and becoming famous. When she resists his advances, Decker forces Cherie onto the bus back to Montana with him, but, when the bus makes an unscheduled stop due to bad weather, the tables are turned.

Salvador Dalí's Fantastic Dream

Produced by 20th Century Fox, this Maysles Brothers short was intended to help promote the release of Disney's Fantastic Voyage (1966) for which Salvador Dali was artistic consultant. Shot in and around New York, the film features a cameo by a bikini clad Raquel Welch, star of Fantastic Voyage and Dali's muse for a series of portraits of Hollywood starlets.

The Gates

A documentary on New York City’s biggest public art project ever, an installation called “The Gates” by Christo and Jeanne Claude.

Salesman

This documentary from Albert and David Maysles follows the bitter rivalry of four door-to-door salesmen working for the Mid-American Bible Company: Paul "The Badger" Brennan, Charles "The Gipper" McDevitt, James "The Rabbit" Baker and Raymond "The Bull" Martos. Times are tough for this hard-living quartet, who spend their days traveling through small-town America, trying their best to peddle gold-leaf Bibles to an apathetic crowd of lower-middle-class housewives and elderly couples.

Sean O'Casey: The Spirit of Ireland

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Young Cassidy (1965), a film about Irish author Sean O'Casey.

Gimme Shelter

A detailed chronicle of the famous 1969 tour of the United States by the British rock band The Rolling Stones, which culminated with the disastrous and tragic concert held on December 6 at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, an event of historical significance, as it marked the end of an era: the generation of peace and love suddenly became the generation of disillusionment.

Ozawa

This intimate portrait of the legendary conductor Seiji Ozawa focuses on the Japanese master and teacher's career, his advocacy of modern composers and the behind-the-scenes world of the symphony orchestra.

The Prince and the Showgirl

An American showgirl becomes entangled in political intrigue when the Prince Regent of a foreign country attempts to seduce her.

Bus Stop

Cowboys Beauregard Decker and Virgil Blessing attend a rodeo in Phoenix, where Decker falls in love with beautiful cafe singer Cherie. He wants to take Cherie back to his native Montana and marry her, but she dreams of traveling to Hollywood and becoming famous. When she resists his advances, Decker forces Cherie onto the bus back to Montana with him, but, when the bus makes an unscheduled stop due to bad weather, the tables are turned.

Salvador Dalí's Fantastic Dream

Produced by 20th Century Fox, this Maysles Brothers short was intended to help promote the release of Disney's Fantastic Voyage (1966) for which Salvador Dali was artistic consultant. Shot in and around New York, the film features a cameo by a bikini clad Raquel Welch, star of Fantastic Voyage and Dali's muse for a series of portraits of Hollywood starlets.

The Gates

A documentary on New York City’s biggest public art project ever, an installation called “The Gates” by Christo and Jeanne Claude.

Salesman

This documentary from Albert and David Maysles follows the bitter rivalry of four door-to-door salesmen working for the Mid-American Bible Company: Paul "The Badger" Brennan, Charles "The Gipper" McDevitt, James "The Rabbit" Baker and Raymond "The Bull" Martos. Times are tough for this hard-living quartet, who spend their days traveling through small-town America, trying their best to peddle gold-leaf Bibles to an apathetic crowd of lower-middle-class housewives and elderly couples.

Sean O'Casey: The Spirit of Ireland

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Young Cassidy (1965), a film about Irish author Sean O'Casey.

Gimme Shelter

A detailed chronicle of the famous 1969 tour of the United States by the British rock band The Rolling Stones, which culminated with the disastrous and tragic concert held on December 6 at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, an event of historical significance, as it marked the end of an era: the generation of peace and love suddenly became the generation of disillusionment.

Grey Gardens

Edie Bouvier Beale and her mother, Edith, two aging, eccentric relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, are the sole inhabitants of a Long Island estate. The women reveal themselves to be misfits with outsized, engaging personalities. Much of the conversation is centered on their pasts, as mother and daughter now rarely leave home.

Muhammad and Larry

Through the poetic lens of visionary filmmakers Albert and David Maysles, Muhammad and Larry explores the unique and poignant relationship between two great boxers and two remarkable men who were more than just competitors. They were once teacher and student, and remain close friends.

Meet Marlon Brando

Filmed during a studio-organized press junket, "Meet Marlon Brando" observes Marlon Brando as he fields a succession of television interviews meant to promote Morituri. Rather than comply, Brando deflects questions with irony, flirtation, and philosophical detours, subtly undermining the promotional ritual itself. Shot in direct-cinema style by Albert Maysles and David Maysles, the film becomes a candid study of celebrity, media performance, and resistance to commodification.

Orson Welles in Spain

Orson Welles presents a proposed film project to prospective investors in Spain. Speaking to an audience of wealthy arts patrons, Welles outlines his vision for an improvised, documentary-style fiction set in the world of bullfighting, centered on a solitary, existential matador who stands apart from his peers. As he expounds on cinema, performance, and the ritualized spectacle of death, the film captures a project that would ultimately remain unrealized.

Cut Piece

Filmed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Cut Piece documents one of Yoko Ono’s most powerful conceptual pieces. Performed by the artist herself, Ono sits motionless on the stage after inviting the audience to come up and cut away her clothing in a denouement of the reciprocity between victim and assailant.

Islands

The Maysles' third film about the artists sees them trying to get three projects off the ground: wrapping the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris; wrapping the Reichstag; and surrounding eleven man-made islands in Florida with pink plastic sheets. As the latter is the only one that gets approval, it gets the bulk of this film.

With Love from Truman

At his Long Island beach house, and on the occasion of the publication of his masterful nonfiction novel In Cold Blood, reporter Karen Dennison interviews celebrated writer Truman Capote, who displays his exuberant personality, makes witty jokes, shares his thoughts on writing, reflects on various aspects of the book and, in a sweet and endearing voice, reads and explains some of its highlights.

Muhammad and Larry

In October of 1980 Muhammad Ali was preparing to fight for an unprecedented fourth heavyweight title against his friend and former sparring partner Larry Holmes. To say that the great Ali was in the twilight of his career would be generous; most of his admiring fans, friends and fight scribes considered his bravado delusional. What was left for him to prove? In the weeks of training before the fight, documentarians Albert and David Maysles took an intimate look at Ali trying to convince the world and perhaps himself, that he was still “The Greatest.” At the same time, they documented the mild-mannered and undervalued champion Holmes as he confidently prepared to put an end to the career of a man for whom he had an abiding and deep affection

Albert Maysles: The Poetic Eye

It delves into the character and life of Albert Maysles, who, with his brother David, created some of the most well known and iconic documentaries of the 20th century. Film extracts include Meet Marlon Brando (1965) Salesman (1968) Gimme Shelter (1970) Grey Gardens (1976)

Running Fence

Second in the series by the Maysles brothers documenting the monuments/sculptures of Christo, whose art projects are landscape-scaled, and more "pop" performance art designed to question how we relate to art in the public sphere, especially when it's as oblique, non-political (at least, that is what he would claim), and neutral as running a fence through a landscape.

Christo's Valley Curtain

This Oscar-nominated documentary follows Christo and Jeanne-Claude as they conceive and execute Valley Curtain, an immense orange fabric installation stretched across a Colorado mountain pass. Filmed in a direct-cinema style, "Christo’s Valley Curtain" observes the negotiations, engineering challenges, and collective labor that shape the artwork, revealing the process itself as an essential part of the final creation.

What's Happening! The Beatles in the USA

New York, USA, February 1964. Five grueling days in the life of George, John, Paul and Ringo, the Fab Four, The Beatles: the hysterical fan reception at JFK airport; several press conferences; in their rooms at the Plaza Hotel; in the backstage at the Ed Sullivan Show; hanging out with the legendary DJ Murray the K; and the frantic return home.

That's Me

That's Me is a 1963 American short comedy film directed by Walker Stuart. It's written by and stars Alan Arkin and Andrew Duncan. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.

The Beales of Grey Gardens

Mother and daughter - Big Edie and Little Edie Beale - live with six cats in a crumbling house in East Hampton. Little Edie, in her 50s, who wears scarves and bright colors, sings, mugs for the camera, and talks to Al and David Maysles, the filmmakers. Big Edie, in her 70s, recites poetry, comments on her daughter's behavior, and sings "If I Loved You" in fine voice. She talks in short sentences; her daughter in volumes. The film is episodic: friends visit, there's a small fire in the house, Little Edie goes to the shore and swims. She talks about the Catholic Church. She's ashamed that local authorities raided the house because of all the cats. She values being different.

Showman

Albert and David Maysles (Gimme Shelter) directed this 53-minute documentary about movie tycoon Joseph E. Levine (1963).

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! The Beatles in New York

The American documentary makers - The Maysles Brothers, were given exclusive access to almost every minute of The Beatles first American visit. The first 3 days of film footage shot in New York was rushed over to Granada Television in London who quickly edited the footage for a TV special called "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! The Beatles in New York" which was broadcast on February 12, 1964 at 10:25pm. The majority of the footage in this UK special featured their arrival at JFK Airport; Arriving at their hotel room; Fans outside the Plaza Hotel; footage from inside their hotel room with Murray The K; Murray The K interviewing them on the phone from WINS radio station; Walking through Central Park for a photo session; Limo ride to CBC TV Studios; Ringo & Murray The K dancing at the Peppermint Lounge.

POV

Since its 1988 premiere, this critically acclaimed documentary series has presented hundreds of films that put a human face on contemporary social issues by relating a compelling story in an intimate fashion. "POV" has won virtually every major film and broadcasting award available, including 38 Emmys, 22 Peabody Awards and three Oscars.

Six American Families

Six documentaries that portray American family life.