Directing

Christian Blackwood

Born July 7, 1942 · Berlin, Germany

Died July 22, 1992 · aged 50

Christian Blackwood was an American film director and cinematographer. He was initially a child actor, then a cinematographer acclaimed for his work in Charlotte Zwerin's Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser. But his major work was as the director of over 80 films, mostly documentaries, over a 25-year career. His most famous films are Observations Under The Volcano and On the Set of Death of a Sal…

Known For

The Murderers Are Among UsThe Murderers Are Among Us · 1946
The Murderers Are Among Us
6.81946
MovieDramaRomance
After returning from a concentration camp, Susanne finds a traumatized ex-soldier living in her apartment in bombed out Berlin. Together the two try to move past their experiences during WWII.
Butoh: Body on the Edge of CrisisButoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis · 1990
Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis
8.01990
MovieDocumentary
"Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis" is a visually striking film portrait shot on location in Japan with the participation of the major Butoh choreographers and their companies. Although Butoh is often viewed as Japan's equivalent of modern dance, in actuality it has little to do with the rational principles of modernism. Butoh is a theater of improvisation which places the personal experiences of the dancer on center-stage. By reestablishing the ancient Japanese connection of dance, music, and masks, and by recalling the Buddhist death dances of rural Japan, Butoh incorporates much traditional theater. At the same time, it is a movement of resistance against the abandonment of traditional culture to a highly organized consumer-oriented society.
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No ChaserThelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser · 1988
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser
7.31988
MovieDocumentaryMusic
A documentary film about the life of pianist and jazz great Thelonious Monk. Features live performances by Monk and his band, and interviews with friends and family about the offbeat genius.
Private Conversations: On the Set of ‘Death of a Salesman’Private Conversations: On the Set of ‘Death of a Salesman’ · 1986
Private Conversations: On the Set of ‘Death of a Salesman’
1986
MovieDocumentary
Playwright Arthur Miller, director Volker Schlöndorff and actor Dustin Hoffman are seen creating the Roxbury Productions and Punch Productions teleplay Death of a Salesman (1985).
Sam Fuller: Writings with a CameraSam Fuller: Writings with a Camera · 1981
Sam Fuller: Writings with a Camera
1981
Movie
A brief visit with Sam Fuller on the set of his film “White Dog” (1982).
The Soldier's TaleThe Soldier's Tale · 1984
The Soldier's Tale
6.91984
MovieAnimation
A soldier, returning home from war, chances upon a stranger who offers to buy his violin. The stranger is none other than the devil.
Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild AngelRoger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel · 1978
Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel
7.71978
MovieDocumentary
Documentary examining the life and career of producer/director Roger Corman. Clips from his films and interviews with actors and crew members who have worked with him are featured.
All by Myself: The Eartha Kitt StoryAll by Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story · 1982
All by Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story
7.01982
MovieDocumentary
Documentary profile of singer-actress Eartha Kitt.

Filmography

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Butoh: Body on the Edge of CrisisButoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis · 1990
Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis
8.01990
MovieDocumentary
"Butoh: Body on the Edge of Crisis" is a visually striking film portrait shot on location in Japan with the participation of the major Butoh choreographers and their companies. Although Butoh is often viewed as Japan's equivalent of modern dance, in actuality it has little to do with the rational principles of modernism. Butoh is a theater of improvisation which places the personal experiences of the dancer on center-stage. By reestablishing the ancient Japanese connection of dance, music, and masks, and by recalling the Buddhist death dances of rural Japan, Butoh incorporates much traditional theater. At the same time, it is a movement of resistance against the abandonment of traditional culture to a highly organized consumer-oriented society.

Director of Photography

Harlem TheaterHarlem Theater · 1969
Harlem Theater
7.01969
MovieDocumentary
HARLEM, USA: in the aftermath of Martin Luther King’s murder, German filmmaker Klaus Wildenhahn turned his 16mm camera on the New Lafayette Theatre as its players rehearsed scenes, ran public workshops and conducted exercises in uptown Manhattan. New Lafayette (or NLT) had been founded by actor-director Robert Macbeth the previous year, with the aim of producing theater for black people, by black people, to reflect the experiences and vernacular of the Harlem community. Within the Black Arts Movement, NLT would become a significant institution: it published the journal Black Theatre, and employed a host of talents – including the Black Panthers’ Minister of Culture, Ed Bullins, and the great pianist Junior Mance, both of whom appear in Wildenhahn’s film as resident collaborators.

Director of Photography

Jim Dine: LondonJim Dine: London · 1970
Jim Dine: London
1970
MovieDocumentary
A concentrated look at one of America's early Pop artists, the film was made during Dine's 4-year residency in London. Actively at work in his studio on several large collages, one can clearly see Dine's masterful balance of artistic freedom and control, as he adds and modifies illusionistic images, written words and real life objects to his compositions. The artist talks about his connections to literature and about his frequent collaboration with poets; he also discusses his own poetry, some of which he reads for the camera. The parks and streets of London are the setting for Dine's frank comments about his voluntary exile in that city. On one walk, Dine encounters Gilbert and George as they endlessly repeat "Underneath the Arches" in bronze make-up, their earliest performance piece.

Director

Real SexReal Sex · 1990
Real Sex
5.01990
SeriesDocumentary
Real Sex is a documentary television series broadcast on and a production of HBO. As its name implies, Real Sex is a sexually explicit "magazine" which "explores sex '90s style." Real Sex explores human sexuality, from the latest sexual fads to casual sex festivals and home production of pornographic movies. The show typically explores three to four topics each episode. Segments are separated by street interviews with random people, relating to the episode's topics. Episodes of the show investigate RealDolls, "Swingstock," a cunnilingus seminar, a perpetual sex machine for women, and lovemaking in chocolate. The last Real Sex episode aired in 2009. Older episodes as well as "best-of" episodes are frequently re-aired during late nights on HBO. It spawned a spin-off series called Pornucopia.

Director