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Stan Brakhage

Name in Native Language: "James Stanley Brakhage" (English/EN)
Cinematographer / Film Director / Actor / Screenwriter / Film Producer | * 01/14/1933 († 70, 03/09/2003) | Kansas City, Missouri (United States of America (USA))
James Stanley Brakhage ( BRAK-ij; January 14, 1933 – March 9, 2003) was an American filmmaker. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in 20th-century experimental film. Over the course of five decades, Brakhage created a large and diverse body of work, exploring a variety of formats, approaches and techniques that included handheld camerawork, painting directly onto celluloid, fast cutting, in-camera editing, scratching on film, collage film and the use of multiple exposures. Interested in mythology and inspired by music, poetry and visual phenomena, Brakhage sought to reveal the universal, in particular exploring themes of birth, mortality, sexuality, and innocence. His films are for the most part silent. Brakhage's films are often noted for their expressiveness and lyricism. While they were for many years obscure and hard to find, many are now readily available on DVD as well as Other media. ()
Photo of Stan Brakhage

Stan Brakhage is one of the most influential Filmmakers in American avant-garde cinema, noted for his unflinching social commentaries and technical innovations. Over his nearly 40-year career, he has made over 200 films of varying length. He made his first film, Interim (1952) at age 18 after dropping out of college. Brakhage films seek to change the way we see. They encourage viewers to eschew traditional narrative structure in favor of pure visual perception that is not reliant on naming what is seen; rather his goal is to create a more visceral visual experience, for he believes that a "stream-of visual-consciousness could be nothing less than the pathway of the soul." To this end, his films are shot in highly sensual colors and utilize minimal soundtracks.His work can be divided into distinct periods. His first short films explored the properties and possibilities of light. In many of his experimental ventures, Brakhage has forgone traditional cinematography in favor of working directly with the film stock itself. He has occasionally painted, inked, scratched and dyed images onto it; he has also tried pasting organic objects on the film. His most famous example is the 1963 short Mothlight in which he glued moth wings onto the stock. Some of his early films were based on his most intimate experiences that included making love to his new bride--depicted on negative film--in Wedlock House: An Intercourse (1959), and an attempt to bring his dead dog back to life with a camera in Sirius Remembered (1959). During the 1960s, Brakhage's iconoclastic views were celebrated for their poetry, but during the '70s, his focus changed to social issues and he alienated many supporters with such disturbing film series as the "Pittsburgh documents" in which he presented many gruesome views of inner city life with films such as Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (1971) which was shot in a morgue. He also continued with autobiographical material with the "Sincerity/Duplicity series. During the 1980s, Brakhage's focus again changed--this time he became intrigued with creating truly "abstract" films such as Arabics (1982) which consists of brilliant bursts of colored light which he claims, represent "envisioned music." In addition to filmmaking, Brakhage also wrote books about films and filmmaking and also served as a teacher.

Most frequent genres for this person: Documentaries | Drama | Animation

Known for these Movies & Shows

Awards & Nominations for Stan Brakhage

Guggenheim Fellowship Maya Deren Award
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Movies with Stan Brakhage as Actor(39)

TV Shows/Series with Stan Brakhage as Actor(1)

as himself1972 Screening Room

Movies with Stan Brakhage as Crew(390)

Crew/In Memory Of2011 Drawings by Billy and His Friends
Directing/Director2003 Chinese Series
Directing/Director2003 Stan's Window
Directing/Director2002 Seasons...
Directing/Director2002 Max
Directing/Director2002 Resurrectus Est
Directing/Director2002 SB (One Minute for Vienna)
Directing/Director2002 Ascension
Directing/Director2002 Panels for the Walls of Heaven
Directing/Director2001 Dark Night of The Soul
Directing/Director2001 Lovesong 2
Directing/Director2001 Very
Directing/Director2001 Lovesong
Directing/Director2001 Baby Jesus
Directing/Director2001 Rounds
Directing/Director2001 Garden Path
Directing/Director2001 Occam's Thread
Directing/Director2001 Persian Series #14
Directing/Director2001 Persian Series #16
Directing/Director2001 Night Mulch
Directing/Director2001 Persian Series #18
Directing/Director2001 Persian Series #13
Directing/Director2001 Persian Series #15
Directing/Director2001 Persian Series #17
Directing/Director2001 Persian Series
Directing/Director2000 Persian Series #8
Directing/Director2000 Persian Series #10
Directing/Director2000 Dance
Directing/Director2000 Persian Series #7
Directing/Director2000 Persian Series #6
Directing/Director2000 Persian Series #9
Directing/Director2000 Persian Series #11
Directing/Director2000 Persian Series #12
Directing/Director2000 Water for Maya
Directing/Director1999 Persian #2
Directing/Director1999 Persian Series #5
Directing/Director1999 The Dark Tower
Directing/Director1999 The Earthsong of the Cricket
Directing/Director1999 The Birds Of Paradise
Directing/Director1999 Coupling
Directing/Director1999 Persian #1
Directing/Director1999 Stately Mansions Did Decree
Directing/Director1999 Moilsome Toilsome
Directing/Director1999 Cloud Chamber
Directing/Director1999 Persian #3
Directing/Director1999 Alternating Currents
Directing/Director1999 Persian Series #4
Directing/Director1999 Cricket Requiem
Directing/Director1999 Worm and Web Love
Directing/Director1998 "..." Reel 1
Directing/Director1998 "..." Reel 2
Directing/Director1998 "..." Reel Five
Directing/Director1998 "..." Reel 3
Directing/Director1998 "..." Reel 4
Directing/Director1997 The Cat of the Worm's Green Realm
Directing/Director1997 Divertimento
Directing/Director1997 Self Song/Death Song
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 7
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 10
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 16
Directing/Director1996 Comingled Containers
Directing/Director1996 Concrescence
Directing/Director1996 Beautiful Funerals
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 1
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 6
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 9
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 12
Directing/Director1996 Sexual Saga
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 19
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 22
Directing/Director1996 Shockingly Hot
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 18
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 21
Directing/Director1996 The Fur of Home
Directing/Director1996 Polite Madness
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 3
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 5
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 13
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 2
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 4
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 8
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 11
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 14
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 20
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 24
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 15
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 17
Directing/Director1996 Prelude 23
Directing/Director1995 I...
Directing/Director1995 The Lost Films
Directing/Director1995 Paranoia Corridor
Directing/Director1995 Earthen Aerie
Directing/Director1995 Spring Cycle
Directing/Director1995 In Consideration of Pompeii
Directing/Director1995 I Take These Truths
Directing/Director1994 Naughts
Directing/Director1994 The Mammals of Victoria
Directing/Director1994 Chartres Series
Directing/Director1994 Black Ice
Directing/Director1994 Elementary Phrases
Directing/Director1994 Cannot Exist
Directing/Director1994 Cannot Not Exist
Directing/Director1993 Tryst Haunt
Directing/Director1993 Ephemeral Solidity
Directing/Director1993 Boulder Blues and Pearls and...
Directing/Director1993 Three Homerics
Directing/Director1993 Stellar
Directing/Director1993 The Harrowing
Directing/Director1993 Study in Color and Black and White
Directing/Director1993 Autumnal
Directing/Director1992 Untitled (For Marilyn)
Directing/Director1992 Crack Glass Eulogy
Directing/Director1992 Interpolations I-V
Directing/Director1991 Agnus Dei Kinder Synapse
Directing/Director1991 Christ Mass Sex Dance
Directing/Director1990 City Streaming
Directing/Director1990 Visions in Meditation
Directing/Director1990 The Thatch of Night
Directing/Director1990 Glaze of Cathexis
Directing/Director1990 Passage Through: A Ritual
Directing/Director1990 Vision of the Fire Tree
Directing/Director1990 Babylon Series #2
Directing/Director1990 Babylon Series #3
Directing/Director1989 Visions in Meditation #1
Directing/Director1989 Babylon Series #1
Directing/Director1989 Faust IV
Directing/Director1988 Matins
Directing/Director1988 Faust's Other: An Idyll
Directing/Director1988 Rage Net
Directing/Director1988 I... Dreaming
Directing/Director1988 Faust 3: Candida Albacore
Directing/Director1988 Marilyn's Window
Directing/Director1987 Loud Visual Noises
Directing/Director1987 Kindering
Directing/Director1987 Faustfilm: An Opera: Part I
Directing/Director1987 The Dante Quartet
Directing/Director1986 Dance Shadows by Danelle Helander
Directing/Director1986 The Aerodyne
Directing/Director1986 Confession
Directing/Director1986 Fireloop
Directing/Director1986 The Loom
Directing/Director1986 Night Music
Camera/Director of Photography1985 Jane
Directing/Director1985 Jane
Editing/Editor1985 Jane
Directing/Director1984 Tortured Dust
Directing/Director1984 Egyptian Series
Directing/Director1983 Hell Spit Flexion
Directing/Director1982 Arabic Numeral Series 17
Directing/Director1982 Arabic Numeral Series 16
Directing/Director1982 Arabic Numeral Series 19
Directing/Director1982 Arabic Numeral Series 15
Directing/Director1982 Arabic Numeral Series 18
Directing/Director1982 Arabic Numeral Series 14
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 12
Directing/Director1981 Aftermath
Directing/Director1981 Made Manifest
Directing/Director1981 RR
Directing/Director1981 Murder Psalm
Directing/Director1981 Unconscious London Strata
Directing/Director1981 The Garden of Earthly Delights
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 1
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 5
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 9
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 10
Directing/Director1981 Nodes
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 3
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 6
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 13
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 2
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 4
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 8
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 11
Directing/Director1981 Arabic Numeral Series 7
Directing/Director1980 Duplicity III
Directing/Director1980 Salome
Directing/Director1980 Roman Numeral: IV
Directing/Director1980 Roman Numeral: VII
Directing/Director1980 Sincerity V
Directing/Director1980 Roman Numeral: VI
Directing/Director1980 Roman Numeral: VIII
Directing/Director1980 Roman Numeral: IX
Directing/Director1980 Roman Numeral: V
Directing/Director1980 Other
Directing/Director1979 @
Directing/Director1979 Sincerity IV
Directing/Director1979 Roman Numeral: II
Directing/Director1979 Roman Numeral: III
Directing/Director1979 Roman Numeral: I
Directing/Director1979 Creation
Directing/Director1978 Duplicity II
Directing/Director1978 Burial Path
Directing/Director1978 Duplicity I
Crew/Cinematography1978 Thot-Fal'N
Directing/Director1978 Thot-Fal'N
Editing/Editor1978 Thot-Fal'N
Directing/Director1978 Nightmare Series
Directing/Director1978 Sluice
Directing/Director1978 Purity, and After
Directing/Director1978 Centre
Directing/Director1978 Bird
Directing/Director1978 Sincerity III
Directing/Director1977 Soldiers and Other Cosmic Objects
Directing/Director1977 The Domain of the Moment
Directing/Director1977 The Governor
Directing/Director1977 Tragoedia
Directing/Director1976 Desert
Directing/Director1976 Absence
Directing/Director1976 Short Films 1976
Directing/Director1976 Airs
Directing/Director1976 Rembrandt, Etc., and Jane
Directing/Director1976 Window
Directing/Director1976 Trio
Directing/Director1976 Highs
Directing/Director1975 Untitled No. 10
Directing/Director1975 Untitled No. 9
Directing/Director1975 Sincerity II
Directing/Director1974 Flight
Directing/Director1974 Aquarien
Crew/Cinematography1974 The Stars Are Beautiful
Directing/Director1974 The Stars Are Beautiful
Editing/Editor1974 The Stars Are Beautiful
Writing/Writer1974 The Stars Are Beautiful
Directing/Director1974 Star Garden
Directing/Director1974 Skein
Camera/Director of Photography1974 The Text of Light
Directing/Director1974 The Text of Light
Directing/Director1974 Dominion
Directing/Director1974 Sol
Directing/Director1973 Sincerity I
Directing/Director1973 Sexual Meditation: Open Field
Directing/Director1972 Eye Myth Educational
Writing/Writer1972 Eye Myth Educational
Directing/Director1972 Sexual Meditation: Hotel
Directing/Director1972 The Process
Directing/Director1972 The Riddle of Lumen
Camera/Director of Photography1972 The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes
Directing/Director1972 The Wold Shadow
Directing/Director1972 Sexual Meditation: Office Suite
Directing/Director1972 The Shores of Phos: A Fable
Directing/Director1972 The Presence
Directing/Director1971 The Peaceable Kingdom
Directing/Director1971 Angels'
Directing/Director1971 Sexual Meditation: Room with View
Directing/Director1971 Deus Ex
Directing/Director1971 Door
Directing/Director1971 Western History
Directing/Director1970 Sexual Meditation #1: Motel
Directing/Director1970 The Weir-Falcon Saga
Directing/Director1970 The Animals of Eden and After
Directing/Director1970 Eyes
Directing/Director1970 The Machine of Eden
Directing/Director1969 Song 29
Directing/Director1969 Song 27 (Part II) Rivers
Directing/Director1969 American 30's Song
Directing/Director1969 Window Suite of Children's Songs
Directing/Director1969 Song 28
Camera/Director of Photography1969 Nuptiae
Directing/Director1968 Song 26
Directing/Director1968 Lovemaking
Directing/Director1968 My Mountain Song 27
Directing/Director1967 23rd Psalm Branch: Part I
Crew/Cinematography1967 23rd Psalm Branch: Part II
Directing/Director1967 23rd Psalm Branch: Part II
Editing/Editor1967 23rd Psalm Branch: Part II
Directing/Director1967 Song 25
Directing/Director1967 Eye Myth
Directing/Director1967 For Life, Against the War
Directing/Director1967 Song 24
Directing/Director1967 23rd Psalm Branch
Directing/Director1966 Song 16
Directing/Director1966 Song 20
Directing/Director1966 Song 17
Directing/Director1966 Song 21
Directing/Director1966 Pasht
Directing/Director1966 Song 18
Directing/Director1966 Song 22
Directing/Director1966 Song 19
Directing/Director1965 Fire of Waters
Directing/Director1965 Song 9
Directing/Director1965 Song 10
Directing/Director1965 Song 14
Directing/Director1965 Song 13
Directing/Director1965 Two: Creeley/McClure
Directing/Director1965 15 Song Traits
Directing/Director1965 Song 12
Directing/Director1965 Song 11
Camera/Director of Photography1965 Dog Star Man
Directing/Director1965 Dog Star Man
Editing/Editor1965 Dog Star Man
Writing/Writer1965 Dog Star Man
Crew/Cinematography1965 The Art of Vision
Directing/Director1965 The Art of Vision
Editing/Editor1965 The Art of Vision
Production/Producer1965 The Art of Vision
Directing/Director1964 Dog Star Man: Part III
Directing/Director1964 Song 8
Directing/Director1964 Song 7
Directing/Director1964 Song 3
Crew/Cinematography1964 Song 1
Directing/Director1964 Song 1
Editing/Editor1964 Song 1
Directing/Director1964 Song 6
Crew/Cinematography1964 Song 5
Directing/Director1964 Song 5
Editing/Editor1964 Song 5
Directing/Director1964 Song 2
Directing/Director1964 Song 4
Directing/Director1964 Dog Star Man: Part IV
Directing/Director1963 Dog Star Man: Part I
Directing/Director1963 Dog Star Man: Part II
Directing/Director1963 Mothlight
Directing/Director1962 Prelude: Dog Star Man
Crew/Cinematography1962 Blue Moses
Directing/Director1962 Blue Moses
Editing/Editor1962 Blue Moses
Writing/Writer1962 Blue Moses
Crew/Cinematography1961 Thigh Line Lyre Triangular
Directing/Director1961 Thigh Line Lyre Triangular
Editing/Editor1961 Thigh Line Lyre Triangular
Directing/Director1960 The Dead
Directing/Director1959 Wedlock House: An Intercourse
Camera/Director of Photography1959 Window Water Baby Moving
Directing/Director1959 Window Water Baby Moving
Editing/Editor1959 Window Water Baby Moving
Directing/Director1959 Cat's Cradle
Directing/Director1959 Sirius Remembered
Directing/Director1958 Anticipation of the Night
Directing/Director1957 Loving
Directing/Director1957 Daybreak and Whiteye
Directing/Director1956 Zone Moment
Directing/Director1956 Flesh of Morning
Directing/Director1956 Nightcats
Crew/Cinematography1955 In Between
Directing/Director1955 In Between
Editing/Editor1955 In Between
Writing/Writer1955 In Between
Crew/Cinematography1955 The Wonder Ring
Directing/Director1955 The Wonder Ring
Editing/Editor1955 The Wonder Ring
Directing/Director1955 Centuries of June
Crew/Cinematography1955 Reflections on Black
Directing/Director1955 Reflections on Black
Editing/Editor1955 Reflections on Black
Writing/Writer1955 Reflections on Black
Crew/Cinematography1954 Desistfilm
Directing/Director1954 Desistfilm
Editing/Editor1954 Desistfilm
Writing/Writer1954 Desistfilm
Crew/Cinematography1954 The Way to Shadow Garden
Directing/Director1954 The Way to Shadow Garden
Editing/Editor1954 The Way to Shadow Garden
Sound/Sound Designer1954 The Way to Shadow Garden
Writing/Writer1954 The Way to Shadow Garden
Crew/Cinematography1954 The Extraordinary Child
Directing/Director1954 The Extraordinary Child
Editing/Editor1954 The Extraordinary Child
Writing/Writer1954 The Extraordinary Child
Directing/Director1953 The Boy and the Sea
Crew/Cinematography1952 Interim
Directing/Director1952 Interim
Editing/Editor1952 Interim
Writing/Writer1952 Interim

Born: Saturday, 01/14 1933 (January) in Kansas City, Missouri (United States of America (USA))
Died: Sunday, 03/09 2003 (March) in Victoria (aged: 70)
Zodiac sign: Capricorn (Chinese zodiac sign: Rooster)
Languages: English (EN, native language)
Educated at: Dartmouth College, South High School
Employer: University of Colorado, University of Colorado Boulder
Represented by: Light Cone
Influenced by/Role models: Isidore Isou
Other names for Stan Brakhage (nicknames, foreign languages etc.):
"James Stanley Brakhage"
"Robert Sanders"
Stan Brakhage frequently works together with these people:
Jane Brakhage (23x, Actress)
Jonas Mekas (21x, Crew)
James Tenney (8x, Actor)
P. Adams Sitney (7x, Cast)
Lawrence Jordan (7x, Crew)
Ken Jacobs (6x, Crew)
Peter Kubelka (6x, Actor)
Pip Chodorov (5x, Crew)
Michael Snow (5x, Crew)
Andy Warhol (5x, Crew)
Phil Solomon (5x, Crew)
Robert Gardner (2x, Crew)
WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:291844, Added: 08/11/2018, Last updated: 03/14/2024