Loading Page
Birth of a Nation(1997)
Status: Released
Date: 1997-08-06
70%
4 Votes
Time: 1h 25m
Overview:
Jonas Mekas assembles 160 portraits, appearances, and fleeting sketches of underground and independent filmmakers captured between 1955 and 1996. Fast-paced and archival in spirit, the film celebrates the avant-garde as its own “nation of cinema,” a vital community existing outside the dominance of commercial film.
Languages: English.
Countries:
United States of America
Movie: Birth of a Nation
Top 10 Billed Cast
Chantal Akerman
Self
Kenneth Anger
Self
Michel Auder
Self
Bruce Baillie
Self
Robert Beavers
Self
Jane Wodening
Self
Stan Brakhage
Self
Robert Breer
Self
James Broughton
Self
L.M. Kit Carson
Self
HomePage
Overview
Jonas Mekas assembles 160 portraits, appearances, and fleeting sketches of underground and independent filmmakers captured between 1955 and 1996. Fast-paced and archival in spirit, the film celebrates the avant-garde as its own “nation of cinema,” a vital community existing outside the dominance of commercial film.
Release Date
1997-08-06
Average
7
Rating:
3.5 startsTagline
Genres
Languages:
EnglishKeywords
Recommendations Movies
76%
As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty(en)
2000-11-05
A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.
71%
Mifune: The Last Samurai(en)
2016-12-02
An account of the life and work of legendary Japanese actor Toshirō Mifune (1920-97), the most prominent actor of the Golden Age of Japanese cinema.
70%
Milius(en)
2013-03-09
The life story of ‘Zen Anarchist’ filmmaker John Milius, one of the most influential storytellers of his generation.
67%
Cameraperson(en)
2016-09-09
As a visually radical memoir, CAMERAPERSON draws on the remarkable footage that filmmaker Kirsten Johnson has shot and reframes it in ways that illuminate moments and situations that have personally affected her. What emerges is an elegant meditation on the relationship between truth and the camera frame, as Johnson transforms scenes that have been presented on Festival screens as one kind of truth into another kind of story—one about personal journey, craft, and direct human connection.
74%
Love, Antosha(en)
2019-08-02
From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton's impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man.
78%
Being James Bond(en)
2021-08-29
Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
71%
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead(en)
2018-08-31
As his life comes to its end, famous Hollywood director Orson Welles puts it all on the line at the chance for renewed success with the film The Other Side of the Wind.
71%
Visions of Light(en)
1992-09-17
Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.
68%
Frida(en)
2024-03-08
An intimately raw and magical journey through the life, mind, and heart of iconic artist Frida Kahlo. Told through her own words for the very first time — drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays, and print interviews — and brought vividly to life by lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork.
85%
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me(en)
2022-11-04
After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.
74%
I Am Heath Ledger(en)
2017-04-23
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
72%
Katy Perry: Part of Me(en)
2012-06-28
Giving fans unprecedented access to the real life of the music sensation, Katy Perry: Part of Me exposes the hard work, dedication and phenomenal talent of a girl who remained true to herself and her vision in order to achieve her dreams. Featuring rare behind-the-scenes interviews, personal moments between Katy and her friends, and all-access footage of rehearsals, choreography, Katy’s signature style and more, Katy Perry: Part of Me reveals the singer’s unwavering belief that if you can be yourself, then you can be anything.
72%
The Director and the Jedi(en)
2018-03-12
An intimate documentary delving into Rian Johnson's process as he comes in as a director new to the Star Wars universe.
68%
The Velvet Underground(en)
2021-10-15
Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.
69%
Woody Allen: A Documentary(en)
2011-11-20
An intense portrait of the iconic filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian and musician Woody Allen: his life, family and friends; his writing and directing habits, and his relationship with performers.
69%
Halftime(en)
2022-06-08
Global superstar Jennifer Lopez reflects on her multifaceted career and the pressure of life in the spotlight in this intimate documentary.
68%
Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return(en)
2022-09-07
This special explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen, as well as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their classic roles. Director Deborah Chow leads the cast and crew as they create new heroes and villains that live alongside new incarnations of beloved Star Wars characters, and an epic story that dramatically bridges the saga films.
76%
Spielberg(en)
2017-10-05
A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.
82%
Shawn Mendes: In Wonder(en)
2020-11-23
A portrait of singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes' life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey.
Similar Movies
65%
Fabulous(fr)
2019-06-07
Ninja is famous around the world for her fierce ballroom performances, but she is not as well-known in her native country of French Guyana. But a trip home to teach a workshop might change that.
60%
Eye of the Storm(en)
2021-02-28
The film tells the story of James Morrison’s early years, painting the tenements of Glasgow, through to his dramatic encounter with a polar bear while painting melting icebergs in North West Greenland. As the artist struggles with imposing blindness, the film follows James, as he prepares for what turned out to be his last ever public exhibition at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh in January 2020.
62%
The Dinosaur and the Baby(fr)
1967-03-15
An hour-long discussion between Fritz Lang and Jean-Luc Godard in which they discuss a variety of art forms, the role of the cinema, their collaboration together, and much more. (Filmed in 1964 but released for TV in 1967.)
67%
Counter Shot: Departure of the Filmmakers(de)
2008-02-14
Documentary about filmmakers of the New German Cinema who were members of the legendary Filmverlag für Autoren (Film Publishing House for Authors). Among them are Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Wim Wenders.
0%
Pierre Bonnard: A Love Exposed(en)
1998-10-18
The tender and tragic love story of French painter Pierre Bonnard and his wife and lifelong model Marthe. The artist recorded their relationship on canvas and, 50 years after his death, these paintings have established him as one of the masters of colour and light.
47%
Serbia, Year Zero(fr)
2001-11-21
Documentary that follows events after the fall of Slobodan Milosevic, while looking back on the previous fifteen years, tracing his rise to power. Personal testimony alternates with analysis of a disintegrating society.
55%
The Sound of Identity(en)
2020-08-22
In the spotlight of global media coverage, the first transgender woman ever to perform as Don Giovanni in a professional opera, makes her historic debut in one of the reddest states in the U.S.
72%
Frida Kahlo(en)
2020-06-15
She was a prolific self-portraitist, using the canvas as a mirror through all stages of her turbulent and, at times, tragic life. This highly engaging film takes us on a journey through the life of one of the most prevalent female icons: Frida Kahlo. Displaying a treasure trove of colour and a feast of vibrancy on screen, this personal and intimate film offers privileged access to her works and highlights the source of her feverish creativity, her resilience and her unmatched lust for life, men, women, politics and her cultural heritage.
63%
Larisa(ru)
1980-10-01
Elem Klimov's tribute to his late wife, director Larisa Shepitko, killed in a car accident a year earlier. Features excerpts from all of her films, and archival audio of her discussing life and art.
0%
Malevich. Born in Ukraine(uk)
2019-02-28
A story about the life and work of the twentieth century artist Kazimir Malevich and his influence on world culture.
0%
Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War(en)
2022-07-01
One of Britain’s greatest landscape artists, Eric Ravilious, is killed in a plane crash while on commission as Official War Artist in Iceland in 1942. His life is as compelling and enigmatic as his art, set against the dramatic wartime locations that inspire him. This film brings to life this unique and still grossly undervalued British artist caught in the crossfire of war 80 years ago, whose legacy largely sank without trace, until now…
0%
Jean-Michel(en)
2026-06-05
Follows Basquiat’s early life as the child of middle-class Haitian and Puerto Rican parents in Brooklyn, through his adventures in the punk subculture and up to his breakout as a major American artist. All the while, special attention is paid to Basquiat’s mental and emotional state, with interviews from former friends and colleagues to supplement his sisters’ impressions.
80%
Tell Me Iggy(fr)
2022-05-23
This new intimate documentary looks at the extraordinary journey of the 75-year-old American rocker, who has come back from everything, and especially from the worst, but with his capacity for wonder intact.
55%
Godard Cinema(fr)
2023-06-05
Jean-Luc Godard is synonymous with cinema. With the release of Breathless in 1960, he established himself overnight as a cinematic rebel and symbol for the era's progressive and anti-war youth. Sixty-two years and 140 films later, Godard is among the most renowned artists of all time, taught in every film school yet still shrouded in mystery. One of the founders of the French New Wave, political agitator, revolutionary misanthrope, film theorist and critic, the list of his descriptors goes on and on. Godard Cinema offers an opportunity for film lovers to look back at his career and the subjects and themes that obsessed him, while paying tribute to the ineffable essence of the most revered French director of all time.
66%
The Prince of Nothingwood(fr)
2017-06-14
French documentarist Sonia Kronlund follows actor and director Salim Shaheen, an Afghan movie star who produced more than 110 low-budget movies in a country devastated by war.
70%
Burning Man: Voyage in Utopia(en)
2007-12-15
With a strong emphasis on founder Larry Harvey and temple artist David Best, this video expresses the scale and power of the Burning Man experience. Superb cinematography and editing are combined to make this is one of the most moving Burning Man videos ever produced.
80%
Shirley MacLaine, comme un torrent(fr)
2026-03-22
With her short red hair, expressive face, vitality, and playful acting style, Shirley MacLaine stands out in the Hollywood pantheon. Driven by a volcanic personality and iron discipline inherited from classical dance, she has constantly reinvented herself, from the girl next door to the eccentric old lady she plays on screen today, proving at 91 that there is a place for actresses of all ages. A refreshing portrait featuring film clips and archival footage, particularly those in which this talk show regular exercises her sharp wit.
65%
Le cinéma de Terry Gilliam - L’imagination au pouvoir(fr)
2026-01-26
Bandits, Bandits, Brazil, Munchausen, Twelve Monkeys, not to mention the crazy Monty Python saga... With their visual extravagance and ever-fresh originality, amplifying his vision of a humanity that is as disturbing as it is comical, his films have made history. In the same baroque, zany, but also tragic vein, Terry Gilliam's work and life merge into an adventure that borders on the epic.