Twilight touching down on a near-empty American townscape is the consistent theme of Gregory Crewdson’s hyper-real photography. Fascinated by light’s transformative power that can turn a banal scene into something sublime, Crewdson doesn’t just “take” his pictures, he creates them, through elaborate days and weeks of invention, design and set-up. The epic production of these movie-like images is both intensely personal and highly public: they begin in Crewdson’s deepest desires and memories, but come to life in the abandoned factory towns and tawdry suburban neighborhoods that have come to represent post-industrial America. Beginning in 2000, this film provides an unparalleled view of his creative process while also revealing the life-story behind Crewdson’s work—through frank reflections on his life and career, including the formative influences of his psychologist father and his childhood fascination with the work of Diane Arbus. Directed and produced by Ben Shapiro. 

Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters

2012 US 77 min
Festival Year: 2013
Types: Documentary
Topic: Energy & Resources, Global Perspectives