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Deep Dive: Great Directors (2009)

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Great Directors
Great Directors is a 2009 documentary written and directed by Angela Ismailos. The film features interviews with ten prominent directors from the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, and Agnès Varda. Ismailos engages these filmmakers in discussions about their creative perspectives and the context of their work in modern cinema. The conversations reveal how their art is influenced by predecessors, with Lynch citing Fellini and Haynes referencing Fassbinder. The film premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and was released in New York City on July 2, 2010. It received mixed reviews, with a 66% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 38 critics. While some praised the insightful conversations, others criticized the lack of coherent organization in the film's structure, suggesting that viewers might learn more by watching the filmmakers' own works.

Why Watch

  • •Meet David Lynch and Agnès Varda in candid discussions.
  • •Find out how Fellini influenced Lynch's filmmaking.
  • •See Todd Haynes discuss the impact of Fassbinder.

Did You Know

•The film features interviews with 10 directors, including David Lynch and Agnès Varda.
•Great Directors debuted at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival in May.
•The film has a 66% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 38 critics.
•Angela Ismailos directed and wrote the film, released in New York City on July 2, 2010.

Perfect For

Film enthusiastsAspiring directorsCinematic history buffs