The Artist Must Grow Ever More Selfish

2026

A tender documentary portrait from director Susan Sandler, drawn from Ned Rorem's Paris Diary. The film offers a candid, intimate and dream like visit with the young composer in 1950s Paris, narrated in his own words. Through diary excerpts and music, it reveals a dashing, self-searching artist moving through a vibrant cultural world of writers, composers, and taste makers whose paths crossed with his. Both personal and provocative, the film captures Rorem's fearless honesty, his unguarded reflections on love and ambition, and the formative experiences that shaped his artistic voice.

Directed by Susan Sandler · Written by Ned Rorem