Albert Maysles
Albert Maysles (born November 26, 1926 in Boston , Massachusetts , † March 5, 2015 in New York City ) was an American cinematographer and director. Together with his brother David (1931–1987) he was one of the most important documentary filmmakers in the United States.
Life
Maysles was born in 1926 to Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. He grew up in Brookline . He received a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University ; he then took up a master's degree at Boston University . There he also worked as a teacher in the field of psychology for three years.
Maysles began his film career in the mid-1950s and was directly involved in the development of Direct Cinema . His first film project took place in 1955 when he was filming patients in psychiatric clinics in Russia, and then making his first short film. Maysles then turned away from psychology and turned to filmmaking. In 1965 he was granted a Guggenheim scholarship .
He staged documentaries about well-known personalities such as Marlon Brando and Truman Capote as well as bands such as the Rolling Stones . As a cameraman he has been involved in more than 65 film and television productions. Maysles himself was u. a. featured in the documentary Michael Moore Hates America . In the 1960s, the brothers founded Maysles Films, their own production company, which continues to this day. After his brother's death, Maysles worked intensively with the filmmaker Susan Froemke , who had joined the company during David's lifetime.
Awards (selection)
- At the 1974 Academy Awards , Maysles and his brother were nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary Short Film category.
- A retrospective was dedicated to him at the Hof International Film Festival in 1995.
- In 1998 he was honored with the President's Award from the American Society of Cinematographers .
- At the 2001 Sundance Film Festival , Maysles was recognized in the Best Cinematography Documentary category for his work on the short film Lalee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton .
- In 2013 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences .
- In 2013 he received the National Medal of Arts .
Filmography (selection)
As a cameraman
- 1960: Primary campaign
- 1963: That's Me (short film)
- 1966: Meet Marlon Brando
- 1968: Monterey Pop
- 1968: Salesman
- 1969: Gimme Shelter
- 1985: Horowitz - the last romantic (Vladimir Horowitz: The Last Romantic)
- 1986: Jimi plays Monterey
- 1991: The Beatles: The First US Visit
- 1994: Umbrellas
- 1996: When We Were Kings
- 2009: South of the Border
- 2014: Iris
As a director
- 1966: Meet Marlon Brando
- 1969: Gimme Shelter
- 1974: Christo's Valley Curtain
- 1975: Gray Gardens
- 1985: Horowitz - the last romantic
- 1991: The Beatles: The First US Visit
- 1994: Umbrellas
- 2005: The Gates
- 2014: Iris
Web links
- Albert Maysles in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Anita Gates Albert Maysles, Pioneering Documentarian, Dies at 88. In: The New York Times of March 6, 2015 (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Maysles, Albert |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American cameraman and director |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 26, 1926 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Boston , Massachusetts , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | 5th March 2015 |
| Place of death | New York City , United States |