by
Gerald Fox
Synopsis
More than just America, Robert Frank is a life of experimentation, of travel, of sensitivity.
American by adoption, he returns to his roots in Europe, his apprenticeship and his first photos. Guided by intuition, he gravitates towards the cinema in the early 1960s, won over by the Beat Generation and its poetry.
He revisits his career highlights while strolling through New York, Coney Island, places that shaped his work. He also invites us to his studio where he works "on life” with June Leaf, his wife.
His photos and his films show how much his life and his work draw upon the same material.
What you will learn in this film…
Robert Frank's New York • His iconic photos • Excerpts from his films • His life • His philosophy • His studio on Bleecker Street • His apprenticeship to a retoucher in Zurich • The flight to the USA in the 1930s • His beginnings at Harper’s Bazaar • A stroll in Coney Island 50 years after his photographs • Paris seen by Robert Frank • His archives • His take on London • His solo trip through the United States that was behind The Americans • His complicity with sculptor June Leaf, his wife • The influence of the Beat Generation in his filmography • His haven of peace in Nova Scotia • The importance of work in the lab to editing • His tour with the Rolling Stones • Robert Frank's roots
Intuition is a very important part of my brain, a sort of speak off. I have never really had concepts. It was always following intuition before I really thought.
Film chapters
00:00 Starting out, Switzerland
07:52 Europe
16:09 Becoming American
23:19 With June, working on life
39:59 The Beat Generation and the films
51:00 Pablo and Andrea
01:14:51 The tour with the Rolling Stones
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Linked Articles
by
Gerald Fox
by
Emmanuel Bacquet
The uncomfortable Mr Frank: a filmography
Further exploration
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• THE AMERICANS - artist: Robert Frank ; introduction: Jack Kerouac ; 1959 ; Grove Press
• THE LINES OF MY HAND - artist: Robert Frank ; 1972 ; Lustrum Press
• MOVING OUT - artist: Robert Frank ; 1995 ; Scalo
• LONDON / WALES - artist: Robert Frank ; author: Philip Brookman ; 2007 ; Steidl Verlag
• PARIS - artist: Robert Frank ; 2008 ; Steidl Verlag
• PERU - artist: Robert Frank ; 2008 ; Steidl Verlag
• VALENCIA - artist: Robert Frank ; 2012 ; Steidl Verlag
• IN AMERICA - artist: Robert Frank ; 2014 ; Steidl Verlag
• HOLD STILL - KEEP GOING - artist: Robert Frank ; author: Christophe Ribbat ; 2016 ; Steidl Verlag
• ROBERT FRANK: GOOD DAYS QUIET - 2019 ; Steidl
• PULL MY DAISY (1959)
• ME & MY BROTHER (1965-1968)
• CONVERSATIONS IN VERMONT (1969)
• COCKSUCKER BLUES (1972)
• LIFE DANCES ON (1980)
• HOME IMPROVEMENTS (1985)
• TRUE STORY (2004)
• TUNNEL (2005)
Robert Frank Dies; Pivotal Documentary Photographer Was 94 - The New York Times Article
Interview: New Doc Puts Robert Frank in Frame - Hollywood Soapbox Article
How Robert Frank’s Photographs Helped Define America - The New Yorker Article
Possibly, Everything: An Interview with Robert Frank - Border Crossings Article
