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Jonas Mekas

Jonas Mekas

Jonas Mekas was born in 1922 in the farming village of Semeniškiai, Lithuania. In 1944, he and his brother Adolfas were taken by the Nazis to a forced labor camp in Elmshorn, Germany. After the War he studied philosophy at the University of Mainz. At the end of 1949 the UN Refugee Organization brought both brothers to New York City, where they settled down in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Two months after his arrival in New York he borrowed money to buy his first Bolex camera and began to record brief moments of his life. He soon got deeply involved in the American Avant-Garde film movement. In 1954, together with his brother, he started Film Culture magazine, which soon became the most important film publication in the US. In 1958 he began his legendary Movie Journal column in the Village Voice. In 1962 he founded the Film-Makers' Cooperative, and in 1964 the Film-Makers' Cinematheque, which eventually grew into Anthology Film Archives, one of the world's largest and most important repositories of avant-garde cinema, and a screening venue.

During all this time he continued writing poetry and making films. To this date he has published more than 20 books of prose and poetry, which have been translated into over a dozen languages. His Lithuanian poetry is now part of Lithuanian classic literature and his films can be found in leading museums around the world. He is largely credited for developing the diaristic forms of cinema. Mekas has also been active as an academic, teaching at the New School for Social Research, the International Center for Photography, Cooper Union, New York University, and MIT.

Mekas' film The Brig was awarded the Grand Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1963. Other films include Walden (1969), Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (1972), Lost Lost Lost (1975), Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol (1990), Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (1992), As I was Moving Ahead I saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), Letter from Greenpoint (2005), Sleepless Nights Stories (2011) and Out-takes from the Life of a Happy Man. In 2007, he completed a series of 365 short films released on the internet -- one film every day -- and since then has continued to share new work on his website.

Since 2000, Mekas has expanded his work into the area of film installations, exhibiting at the Serpentine Gallery, the Centre Pompidou, Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Moderna Museet (Stockholm), PS1 Contemporary Art Center MoMA, Documenta of Kassel, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and the Venice Biennale.

See more on
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV

Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV

2023

as Self (archive footage)

Please Leave a Message: Anthology Film Archives Voicemails Through the Ages

Please Leave a Message: Anthology Film Archives Voicemails Through the Ages

2022

Jonas Mekas Anthology

Jonas Mekas Anthology

2022

as Jonas Mekas

Fragments of Paradise

Fragments of Paradise

2022

as Self (archive footage)

Film: The Living Record of Our Memory

Film: The Living Record of Our Memory

2022

as Self

Vertigo

Vertigo

2022

Notes for a Déjà vu

Notes for a Déjà vu

2022

Back from New York

Back from New York

2021

as Himself

The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground

2021

as Self

The Invisible Father

The Invisible Father

2021

as Self (archive footage)

Tapes

Tapes

2020

Tiny Tim: King for a Day

Tiny Tim: King for a Day

2020

as Himself

Elegy for J.M.

Elegy for J.M.

2019

Sebastian and Jonas Leaving the Party

Sebastian and Jonas Leaving the Party

2019

Cinema and Sanctuary

Cinema and Sanctuary

2019

as Self

Self Discovery for Social Survival

Self Discovery for Social Survival

2019

as Narrator (voice)

Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film

Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film

2019

as Self

Makeshift (for Mekas)

Makeshift (for Mekas)

2019

Last Interview Film of Jonas Mekas/version 1

Last Interview Film of Jonas Mekas/version 1

2019

as Self

Keep singing: a tribute to Jonas Mekas

Keep singing: a tribute to Jonas Mekas

2019

3 Friends Singing (...in the Desert)

3 Friends Singing (...in the Desert)

2019

Jonas Towards Broadway

Jonas Towards Broadway

2019

Beyond the Bolex

Beyond the Bolex

2018

as Self

Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground

Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground

2018

George: The Story of George Maciunas and Fluxus

George: The Story of George Maciunas and Fluxus

2018

as Self

Nitsch

Nitsch

2018

I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance

I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance

2017

as Self

On the Holy Spirit

On the Holy Spirit

2016

EXPRMNTL

EXPRMNTL

2016

as himself

I Had Nowhere to Go

I Had Nowhere to Go

2016

as Himself

Reminiscences of Jonas Mekas

Reminiscences of Jonas Mekas

2016

as Self

A Day in the Life of Andy Warhol

A Day in the Life of Andy Warhol

2015

as Self

A Report from Venice

A Report from Venice

2015

All About Bolex

All About Bolex

2015

My Birthday

My Birthday

2014

River of Fundament

River of Fundament

2014

as Wake Guest

Diaries, Notes, and Sketches

Diaries, Notes, and Sketches

2013

as Self

Diaries, Notes, and Sketches

Diaries, Notes, and Sketches

2013

as self

My Conversations on Film

My Conversations on Film

2013

as Himself

What Is Cinema?

What Is Cinema?

2013

as Self

Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man

Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man

2012

as Jonas Mekas

Maya Deren, Take Zero

Maya Deren, Take Zero

2012

as Himself

Reminiscences from Germany

Reminiscences from Germany

2012

as Himself

3.11 A Sense of Home

3.11 A Sense of Home

2011

as Himself (voice) (segment "Mt. Ventoux")

My Mars Bar Movie

My Mars Bar Movie

2011

as himself

Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film

Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film

2011

as Himself

Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin

Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin

2011

as Himself

Guest

Guest

2011

as Self

Re: Maciunas and Fluxus

Re: Maciunas and Fluxus

2011

Portrait Serie - Jonas Mekas

Portrait Serie - Jonas Mekas

2010

as himself

New York Conversations

New York Conversations

2010

Lavender

Lavender

2010

as Self

Visionaries

Visionaries

2010

as Himself

Jonas Mekas in Kodachrome Days

Jonas Mekas in Kodachrome Days

2009

as Himself

It Came from Kuchar

It Came from Kuchar

2009

as Self (archive footage)

The Signing

The Signing

2009

The Perfect Team: The Making of 'On the Bowery'

The Perfect Team: The Making of 'On the Bowery'

2009

as Self

Doc

Doc

2008

as Himself

Question a Day

Question a Day

2008

Andy Warhol's Factory People... Inside the Sixties Silver Factory

Andy Warhol's Factory People... Inside the Sixties Silver Factory

2008

Notes on an American Film Director at Work

Notes on an American Film Director at Work

2008

as Self

365 Day Project

365 Day Project

2007

as Self

Sunday December 30, 2007

Sunday December 30, 2007

2007

as Self

Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis

Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis

2007

as Self

Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007

Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007

2007

as Self

Salvador Dalí at Work

Salvador Dalí at Work

2006

as Self

The Song of Central Park

The Song of Central Park

2006

as Himself (voice)

Anger Me

Anger Me

2006

as Himself

Notes on Marie Menken

Notes on Marie Menken

2006

as Self

Who Gets to Call It Art?

Who Gets to Call It Art?

2006

as Self

Meet The Kuchar Brothers

Meet The Kuchar Brothers

2006

The Definition of Insanity

The Definition of Insanity

2005

Excavating Taylor Mead

Excavating Taylor Mead

2005

as Self

A Letter from Greenpoint

A Letter from Greenpoint

2004

as Mekas

Not in Our Name

Not in Our Name

2003

as himself

Axiom of Choice

Axiom of Choice

2003

as Self

Jonas Keeps Shooting Around

Jonas Keeps Shooting Around

2002

as Himself

In the Mirror of Maya Deren

In the Mirror of Maya Deren

2002

as Himself

Notes in Lifestyle Margins

Notes in Lifestyle Margins

2002

TO NEW YORK WITH LOVE - A Letter to Penny Arcade June 25, 2001

TO NEW YORK WITH LOVE - A Letter to Penny Arcade June 25, 2001

2001

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

2000

as Narrator (voice)

Requiem for a Manual Typewriter

Requiem for a Manual Typewriter

2000

as Himself

Letter to John from Jonas

Letter to John from Jonas

1999

Laboratorium Anthology

Laboratorium Anthology

1999

as Himself

Song of Avignon

Song of Avignon

1998

as Self

My Country is Cinema

My Country is Cinema

1998

as Self

Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit

Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit

1997

as Self

A Poet from the Lower East Side

A Poet from the Lower East Side

1997

as Self

Jonas Mekas, Friday 13th October

Jonas Mekas, Friday 13th October

1996

as Himself

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania

1996

as Self

Michael Snow Up Close

Michael Snow Up Close

1996

as Himself

Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old

Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old

1996

as Himself

Nico Icon

Nico Icon

1995

as Himself

Jonas in the Desert

Jonas in the Desert

1994

as Self

Zefiro Torna or Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (Fluxus)

Zefiro Torna or Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (Fluxus)

1992

Award

Award

1992

as Himself

Just Visiting This Planet

Just Visiting This Planet

1991

Quartet Number One

Quartet Number One

1991

Interview and Reading: Jonas Mekas

Interview and Reading: Jonas Mekas

1991

as Himself

Step Across the Border

Step Across the Border

1990

as Butterfly Wing

Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol

Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol

1990

as Self

Belladonna

Belladonna

1989

Warhol's Cinema 1963-1968: Mirror for the Sixties

Warhol's Cinema 1963-1968: Mirror for the Sixties

1989

as Self

Invocation: Maya Deren

Invocation: Maya Deren

1986

as Himself

He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life

He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life

1986

as Self (archive footage)

Fire in the East: A Portrait of Robert Frank

Fire in the East: A Portrait of Robert Frank

1986

as Self

Home Movies 1971-81

Home Movies 1971-81

1985

Persistence of Vision

Persistence of Vision

1984

as Self

Strong Medicine

Strong Medicine

1981

The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man

The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man

1981

No. 18: Mahagonny

No. 18: Mahagonny

1980

as Self

Self-Portrait

Self-Portrait

1980

as Himself

J. Mekas

J. Mekas

1980

as Self

ORG

ORG

1979

as Self (archive footage)

Paradise Not Yet Lost

Paradise Not Yet Lost

1979

as Himself

Cinématon

Cinématon

1978

as N°1590

Four Shadows

Four Shadows

1978

Notes for Jerome

Notes for Jerome

1978

as Self

Lost, Lost, Lost

Lost, Lost, Lost

1976

as Self

Postcard from America

Postcard from America

1975

‘Rameau’s Nephew’ by Diderot (Thanx to Dennis Young) by Wilma Schoen

‘Rameau’s Nephew’ by Diderot (Thanx to Dennis Young) by Wilma Schoen

1974

Imagine

Imagine

1972

as Self

Going Home

Going Home

1972

as Himself

Journey to Lithuania

Journey to Lithuania

1971

as Himself

Occhio privato sul nuovo mondo

Occhio privato sul nuovo mondo

1970

A Matter of Baobab

A Matter of Baobab

1970

Filmmakers

Filmmakers

1969

as Himself

Jonas

Jonas

1968

as Himself

Underground New York

Underground New York

1968

as Self

The Song of Avila

The Song of Avila

1967

as Narrator

Poem Posters

Poem Posters

1967

as Self

Screen Test [ST211]: Jonas Mekas

Screen Test [ST211]: Jonas Mekas

1966

as himself

Galaxie

Galaxie

1966

as Self

The Love Merchant

The Love Merchant

1966

as Lounge Patron

Andy Warhol Screen Tests

Andy Warhol Screen Tests

1965

as Self

Dirt

Dirt

1965

Jonas in the Brig

Jonas in the Brig

1965

as Himself

Award Presentation to Andy Warhol

Award Presentation to Andy Warhol

1965

as Self

Empire

Empire

1965

as Self (uncredited)

Diane the Zebra Woman

Diane the Zebra Woman

1962

The Sin of Jesus

The Sin of Jesus

1961

The Lamb

The Lamb

as Self

Viva Jonas!

Viva Jonas!

as Himself

Cinématon n°1590 : Jonas Mekas

Cinématon n°1590 : Jonas Mekas