Three by Shirley Clarke
Dance was Shirley Clarke’s first creative outlet of choice, and even after she discovered a new vocation in cinema she would continue to think in terms of the expressive possibilities of rhythm, choreography, and free movement. A standout in the overwhelmingly male New American Cinema Group that was coming together in New York City under Jonas Mekas in the 50s and ’60s , Clarke was also one of its great organizers and creators, helping to develop the verité style while raising difficult questions about the potentially exploitative relationship between observer and subject.
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Ornette: Made in America
Directed by Shirley Clarke | 85 mins | 1985
“Discovering the work of filmmaker and the Film-Makers' Cooperative co-founder, Shirley Clarke made me aware of the wide range of cinema’s possibilities. This 1985 documentary shot in collaboration with the late Ornette Coleman, using a diverse array of... -
The Connection
Directed by Shirley Clarke | 110 mins | 1961
“Shirley Clarke’s The Connection based on and adapted by Jack Gelber is a film way ahead of its time. Arguably the first film to use the “found footage” trope to tell a fictional story. This film blew my mind when I first saw it, the direction and the ... -
Portrait of Jason
Directed by Shirley Clarke | 107 mins | 1967
A distillation of a single 12-hour interview in a room at the Chelsea Hotel with the charismatic Jason Holliday (“real” name Aaron Payne), a gay, African American cabaret dancer, part-time hustler, and full-time raconteur, Portrait of Jason grows from ...
