Leon guest
Leon Gast (* 1936 in Jersey City , USA) is an American director , producer and photographer .
Life
Born and raised in New Jersey , Gast studied Dramatic Arts at Columbia University , but dropped out shortly before graduation to produce the TV series High Adventure with Lowell Thomas. This TV show, which presented largely unknown parts of the world, allowed him to travel a lot. He recognized his talent for documentary films.
His best known works are Hell's Angels Forever (1983) and When We Were Kings (1996). When We Were Kings documents the " Rumble in the Jungle ", the heavyweight world championship boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974 in Zaire . Guest filmed over 400 hours of material, but was broke. It wasn't until 20 years later that he found a sponsor and completed the work. The film was released in 1996 and won the Oscar for best documentary . In One Love (2003), in which Kobe Bryant participated, Gast describes the development of basketball from its beginnings in the 19th century to the most popular US sport of today. Seven years later guest received for his documentary Smash His Camera (2010) over the paparazzo Ron Galella the Best Director Award of the Sundance Film Festival .
During the 1960s and 1970s, Gast became famous as a photographer for Vogue , Esquire and Harper's Bazaar magazines .
Filmography (selection)
- Our Latin Thing - Nuestra cosa latina (1972)
- Celia Cruz and the Fania Allstars in Africa (1974)
- The Grateful Dead Movie (1974)
- BB King - Sweet 16 (1974)
- One Love (2003)
- Smash His Camera (2010)
Web links
- Leon Gast in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Guest, Leon |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American director, producer and photographer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1936 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Jersey City , USA |