10.0
10.0
The Definition of Insanity
2005
Jonas Mekas
Directing
Born:December 24, 1922
Died:January 23, 2019(aged 96)
Birthplace:Semeniškiai, Lithuania
Nationality:Lithuania
Education:Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
N/A
CommunityBiography
Jonas Mekas was born in 1922 in the farming village of Semeniškiai, Lithuania. In 1944, he and his brother Adolfas were taken by the Nazis to a forced labor camp in Elmshorn, Germany. After the War he studied philosophy at the University of Mainz. At the end of 1949 the UN Refugee Organization brought both brothers to New York City, where they settled down in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Two months after his arrival in New York he borrowed money to buy his first Bolex camera and began to record brief moments of his life. He soon got deeply involved in the American Avant-Garde film movement. In 1954, together with his brother, he started Film Culture magazine, which soon became the most important film publication in the US. In 1958 he began his legendary Movie Journal column in the Village Voice. In 1962 he founded the Film-Makers' Cooperative, and in 1964 the Film-Makers' Cinematheque, which eventually grew into Anthology Film Archives, one of the world's largest and most important repositories of avant-garde cinema, and a screening venue. During all this time he continued writing poetry and making films. To this date he has published more than 20 books of prose and poetry, which have been translated into over a dozen languages. His Lithuanian poetry is now part of Lithuanian classic literature and his films can be found in leading museums around the world. He is largely credited for developing the diaristic forms of cinema. Mekas has also been active as an academic, teaching at the New School for Social Research, the International Center for Photography, Cooper Union, New York University, and MIT. Mekas' film The Brig was awarded the Grand Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1963. Other films include Walden (1969), Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (1972), Lost Lost Lost (1975), Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol (1990), Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (1992), As I was Moving Ahead I saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), Letter from Greenpoint (2005), Sleepless Nights Stories (2011) and Out-takes from the Life of a Happy Man. In 2007, he completed a series of 365 short films released on the internet -- one film every day -- and since then has continued to share new work on his website. Since 2000, Mekas has expanded his work into the area of film installations, exhibiting at the Serpentine Gallery, the Centre Pompidou, Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Moderna Museet (Stockholm), PS1 Contemporary Art Center MoMA, Documenta of Kassel, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and the Venice Biennale.
Filmography (246 movies)
10.0
10.0
365 Day Project
2007
Director
10.0
10.0
Elvis Live at Madison Square Garden
1972
Writer
9.2
9.2
Yoko Ono Lennon's Courage Awards 2016: Laurie Anderson, Mohammad el Gharani, Eileen Boxer, RoseLee Goldberg, LoftOpera
2016
Director
9.0
9.0
Diane the Zebra Woman
1962
9.0
9.0
Lithuania and the Collapse of the USSR
2009
Director
8.8
8.8
Anger Me
2006
as Himself
8.3
8.3
Film: The Living Record of Our Memory
2022
as Self
8.2
8.2
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
1986
Writer
8.0
8.0
Dirt
1965
8.0
8.0
I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance
2017
Director
8.0
8.0
Requiem
2019
Director
7.9
7.9
‘Rameau’s Nephew’ by Diderot (Thanx to Dennis Young) by Wilma Schoen
1974
7.9
7.9
Step Across the Border
1990
as Butterfly Wing
7.9
7.9
WTC Haikus
2010
Producer
7.7
7.7
As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
2000
Director
7.5
7.5
Quartet Number One
1991
Director
7.5
7.5
Nico Icon
1995
as Self
7.4
7.4
Song of Avignon
1998
Director
7.4
7.4
In the Mirror of Maya Deren
2002
as Himself
7.4
7.4
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
1968
Director
7.3
7.3
Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol
1990
as Self
7.2
7.2
Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film
2019
as Self
7.1
7.1
Guns of the Trees
1961
Writer
7.0
7.0
Journey to Lithuania
1971
as Himself
7.0
7.0
Imagine
1972
as Self
7.0
7.0
It Came from Kuchar
2009
as Self (archive footage)
7.0
7.0
Award Presentation to Andy Warhol
1965
Director
7.0
7.0
George: The Story of George Maciunas and Fluxus
2018
as Self
7.0
7.0
Beyond the Bolex
2018
as Self
7.0
7.0
Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin
2011
Director
7.0
7.0
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
1996
Writer
7.0
7.0
Lost, Lost, Lost
1976
Writer
7.0
7.0
Four Shadows
1978
6.9
6.9
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
2023
as Self (archive footage)
6.9
6.9
Travel Songs
1981
Director
6.8
6.8
The Velvet Underground
2021
as Self
6.7
6.7
Notes on the Circus
1967
Director
6.7
6.7
Who Gets to Call It Art?
2006
as Self
6.7
6.7
Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film
2011
as Himself
6.7
6.7
The Song of Moscow
1971
Director
6.6
6.6
Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis
2007
as Self
6.6
6.6
The Brig
1964
Director
6.5
6.5
3.11 A Sense of Home Films
2011
Director
6.5
6.5
Fragments of Paradise
2022
as Self (archive footage)
6.5
6.5
Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man
2012
Director
6.5
6.5
Jonas Mekas in Kodachrome Days
2009
as Himself
6.5
6.5
To Barbara Rubin with Love
2006
Director
6.5
6.5
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships & Intersections
1990
Director
6.5
6.5
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
2003
Director
6.4
6.4
The Song of Avila
1967
Director
6.4
6.4
What Is Cinema?
2013
as Self
6.3
6.3
Birth of a Nation
1997
Writer
6.3
6.3
The Song of Stockholm
1981
Director
6.1
6.1
Tiny Tim: King for a Day
2020
as Himself
6.1
6.1
Cassis
1966
Director
6.0
6.0
TO NEW YORK WITH LOVE - A Letter to Penny Arcade June 25, 2001
2001
Director
6.0
6.0
Visionaries
2010
as Himself
6.0
6.0
Makeshift (for Mekas)
2019
6.0
6.0
The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man
1981
6.0
6.0
My Birthday
2014
Director
6.0
6.0
Michael Snow Up Close
1996
as Himself
6.0
6.0
Guest
2011
as Self
6.0
6.0
For Life, Against the War
1967
Director
5.8
5.8
Zefiro Torna or Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (Fluxus)
1992
Director
5.8
5.8
In Between
1978
Director
5.8
5.8
Report from Millbrook
1966
Director
5.8
5.8
The Song of Assisi
1967
Director
5.6
5.6
Notes on an American Film Director at Work
2008
Director
5.5
5.5
Jonas in the Desert
1994
as Self
5.5
5.5
No. 18: Mahagonny
1980
as Self
5.5
5.5
Imperfect Three-Image Films
1995
Director
5.4
5.4
Going Home
1972
as Himself
5.4
5.4
Self Discovery for Social Survival
2019
Writer
5.4
5.4
Notes on Marie Menken
2006
as Self
5.3
5.3
The Song of Italy
1967
Director
5.3
5.3
Time & Fortune Vietnam Newsreel
1969
Director
5.3
5.3
Sleepless Nights Stories
2011
Director
5.2
5.2
Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit
1997
Director
5.2
5.2
This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography
1999
Director
5.0
5.0
A Day in the Life of Andy Warhol
2015
as Self
5.0
5.0
Jonas Keeps Shooting Around
2002
as Himself
5.0
5.0
Maya Deren, Take Zero
2012
as Himself
5.0
5.0
Postcard from America
1975
5.0
5.0
Salvador Dalí at Work
2006
Director
5.0
5.0
Invocation: Maya Deren
1986
as Himself
5.0
5.0
A Visit to Stan Brakhage
2006
Director
5.0
5.0
42 One Dream Rush
2010
Director
5.0
5.0
Hare Krishna
1967
Director
4.9
4.9
ORG
1979
as Self (archive footage)
4.8
4.8
The Sin of Jesus
1961
4.8
4.8
Happy Birthday to John
1997
Director
4.4
4.4
The Love Merchant
1966
as Lounge Patron
4.2
4.2
Empire
1965
as Self (uncredited)
4.0
4.0
Brakhage Crosses Central Park
2006
Writer
3.2
3.2
My Conversations on Film
2013
as Himself
2.9
2.9
Andy Warhol's Factory People... Inside the Sixties Silver Factory
2008
Just Visiting This Planet
1991
Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007
2007
Director
A Letter from Greenpoint
2004
Writer
Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old
1996
Director
Meet The Kuchar Brothers
2006
Nam June Paik: Lessons from the Video Master
2006
as Self
Filmmakers
1969
as Himself
Galaxie
1966
as Self
Underground New York
1968
as Self
Laboratorium Anthology
1999
Director
Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground
2018
Jonas in the Brig
1965
as Himself
Lavender
2010
Director
New York Conversations
2010
Nitsch
2018
Warhol's Cinema 1963-1968: Mirror for the Sixties
1989
as Self
Fire in the East: A Portrait of Robert Frank
1986
as Self
Question a Day
2008
Letter to John from Jonas
1999
Director
Requiem for a Manual Typewriter
2000
Director
Portrait Serie - Jonas Mekas
2010
as himself
Keep singing: a tribute to Jonas Mekas
2019
Poem Posters
1967
as Self
Excavating Taylor Mead
2005
as Self
A Matter of Baobab
1970
Award
1992
as Himself
Reminiscences of Jonas Mekas
2016
as Self
Sebastian and Jonas Leaving the Party
2019
My Mars Bar Movie
2011
Director
Paradise Not Yet Lost
1979
Director
Re: Maciunas and Fluxus
2011
Director
Jonas Mekas, Friday 13th October
1996
as Himself
![Screen Test [ST211]: Jonas Mekas movie poster](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w342/5yEUYxLQWc71aL7OGrhSnpslsQO.jpg)
Screen Test [ST211]: Jonas Mekas
1966
as himself
Not in Our Name
2003
as himself
Notes for Jerome
1978
Director
The Song of Central Park
2006
Director
Tapes
2020
Director
Last Interview Film of Jonas Mekas/version 1
2019
as Self
The Invisible Father
2021
as Self (archive footage)
The Perfect Team: The Making of 'On the Bowery'
2009
as Self
Elegy for J.M.
2019
Jonas Towards Broadway
2019
3 Friends Singing (...in the Desert)
2019
Axiom of Choice
2003
as Self
My Country is Cinema
1998
as Self
Cinématon n°1590 : Jonas Mekas
TBA
Doc
2008
as Himself
Back from New York
2021
as Himself
Belladonna
1989
Notes for a Déjà vu
2022
A Poet from the Lower East Side
1997
as Self
Persistence of Vision
1984
as Self
All About Bolex
2015
Director
A Report from Venice
2015
Director
The Signing
2009
Vertigo
2022
Jonas Mekas in Budapest
1993
as Himself
Interview and Reading: Jonas Mekas
1991
as Himself
Occhio privato sul nuovo mondo
1970
Jonas Mekas Anthology
2022
as Jonas Mekas
Please Leave a Message: Anthology Film Archives Voicemails Through the Ages
2022
J. Mekas
1980
as Self
Vies et morts d'Andy Warhol
2005
Viva Jonas!
TBA
as Himself
Cinema and Sanctuary
2019
as Self
The Misfits - 30 Years of Fluxus
TBA
as Self
The Lamb
TBA
as Self
On the Holy Spirit
2016
Director
Sunday December 30, 2007
2007
Director
Notes in Lifestyle Margins
2002
Sean
TBA
as Self (archive) (voice)
RAHHH
TBA
as Self (archive) (voice)
Behind the Artist: Andy Warhol, an American Prophet
2015
Ricky Leacock Visit, April 15, 1971
1971
as Self
Jonas Mekas in Paris 10/97
1998
A Mixtape for Stom
2025
Jonas
1968
as Himself
EXPRMNTL
2016
as himself
I Had Nowhere to Go
2016
as Himself
Reminiscences from Germany
2012
Director
Self-Portrait
1980
Director
Monday Jan. 1, 2007
2007
Director
Friday March 16, 2007
2007
Director
First Class Flight
2011
Director
Celebrate Cinema 101
1996
Director
Poets at the Living Theater
2006
Director
Warhol and Maciunas
2006
Director
Nam June Paik's Piano Piece
1997
Director
Patti Smith at Anthology Film Archives Febr. 19, 1998
1998
Director
Andy at Work
2006
Director
Robert Frank Films
2006
Director
Cinémathèque Française
2006
Director
Bibi Hansen
2006
Director
Carl Dreyer
2006
Director
Thursday Jan. 4, 2007: Pedro (São Paulo) or The Right Way To Make Capirinha
2007
Director
When
TBA
Director
Monday April 16, 2007
2007
Director
Friday May 4, 2007: John Zorn – Cobra Part Two
2007
Director
To John With Love
2006
Director
John & Yoko Bed-In
2006
Director
Bed-In: John Lennon & Yoko Ono
TBA
Director
Peter Kubelka at the Library of Congress
1993
Director
Silence, Please
2000
Director
My Bolexes
2015
Director
Autobiography of a Man Who Carried his Memory in his Eyes
2000
Director
Robert Haller's Wedding
1980
Director
20 Little Films
2012
Director
The Sixties Quartet
2013
Director
Velvet Underground's First Public Appearance
2006
Director
John & Yoko Bed-In
2006
Director
Three Friends
2002
Director
Dedication to Matsuo Basho
2006
Director
A Visit to Timothy Leary
2006
Director
Carl G. Jung by Jerome Hill or Lapis Philosophorum
1991
Director
Scenes from the Life of Raimund Abraham
2015
Director
A Walk
1990
Director
Senseless
1962
Writer
Film Magazine of the Arts
1965
Director
Cup/Saucer/Two Dancers/Radio
1983
Director
The Italian Notebook
1967
Director
Street Songs
1983
Director
Mob of Angels: Baptism
1990
Director
Letters from Nowhere
1997
Director
Erick Hawkins: Excerpts from "Here and Now with Watchers"
1983
Director
Ein Märchen aus alten Zeiten
2001
Director
I Leave Chelsea Hotel
2009
Director
The Destruction Quartet
2006
Director
From the Notebooks of a Cinema Maniac
2017
Director
Marcel Hanoun wedding
TBA
Director
Monks of Cinema
2006
Director
Halloween 1990
2014
Director
A Visit To Hans Richter
2003
Director
Scenes from the Life of Hermann Nitsch
2005
Director
Notes on Utopia
2005
Director
On My Way to Fujiyama I met..
1995
Director
The Education of Sebastian or Egypt Regained
1992
Director
Mt. Ventoux
2011
Director
A Visit to Stan Brakhage
2006
Director
From the diaries of a cinema maniac
2017
Director
Memories of Frankenstein
1995
Director
Keep Singing
2011
Director
Orchard Street
2010
Director
My Paris Movie
2011
Director
A Few Notes on Andy's Factory
1999
Director
Song of The Salamander
1996
Director
Moires with Prof. Oster and Salvador Dalí
2006
Director
Mysteries
2002
Director
Happy Easter Ride
2012
Director
Destruction of the Berlin Wall
2014
Director
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to review!