IN THE MIRROR OF MAYA DEREN, by Martina Kudlácek.
The film was beautifully shot (somewhat traditionally, considering the subject matter, but it probably would have been a mistake to do it any other way). The filmmaker did a great job of integrating clips of Deren’s films together with interviews about her life — really contextualizing her work without psychologizing it. The interviews were good too, presenting a complex and not un-critical view of who Deren was. I don’t know if the film would much interest people who aren’t already Deren fans, but for those who are it is a real pleasure. The soundtrack by Zorn was, of course, excellent without getting in the way or drawing attention to itself.
