50th Anniversary of Cinema Verité

Primary with Robert Drew, Al Maysles, DA Pennebaker

Oct 6, 2010
7:00 PM ET
New York

   

Robert Drew, Al Maysles, and D A Pennebaker reunite to screen and discuss the film about the Kennedy/Humphrey primary that lead to a new form of filmmaking, as well as examine the enduring legacy of cinema verité.

A half-century ago, Robert Drew and his filmmaking colleagues, including Richard Leacock, revolutionized the way we look at the world, creating freewheeling drama from real life. The Drew unit developed film equipment light enough to move freely with real subjects through crucial points in their lives. Their creative breakthrough was Primary, which captured the dynamic struggle between Presidential hopefuls John Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey seeking votes in Wisconsin. Selected for the first Library of Congress National Registry of outstanding American films, Primary, according to critic Matt Zoller Seitz, “had as immense and measureable an impact on nonfiction filmmaking as Birth of a Nation had on fiction filmmaking.”

Tickets on sale now.

Join us for a complimentary reception before the event at 6:30 pm. 

This event is part of the Robert M. Batscha University Seminar Series

 

Robert Drew
Al Maysles
D A Pennebaker
 

More Paley Events Calendar

PaleyScreenings23 Banner Mobile
PaleyScreenings
Ongoing—Daily Screenings from the Paley Archive
The Paley Museum, 25 West 52 Street, NYC

Upcoming Screenings at The Paley Museum

THT Exhibit CRM Feature Thumb
PaleyExhibit
Friday, April 4, 2025 – Sunday, June 8, 2025
The Paley Museum, 25 West 52 Street, NYC
Free for Paley Members I Included in General Admission

The Legacy of The Handmaid’s Tale: June’s Evolution from Handmaid to Rebel 

Thumb 1200 x 675 PE25 ClassicTV
PaleyExhibit
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 – Sunday, June 1, 2025
The Paley Museum, 25 West 52 Street, NYC
Free for Paley Members I Included in General Admission

Classic TV Comes to Life
Television Treasures from the Dr. Stewart Berkowitz Collection