Under the Influence of Albert Maysles: In Transit
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Saturday, December 5th, 2:00pm and 7:30pm
Albert Maysles: A Festival and Celebration
Friday, December 4th-Sunday, December 6th we celebrate the life, birthday, and legacy of late, great documentarian and founder of the Maysles Documentary Center, Albert Maysles — November 26th, 1926 – March 5th, 2015 — with a sneak peek at his final masterwork, In Transit, as well as a look at some of the films and filmmakers under his influence. All proceeds from this festival will be donated back to the Maysles Documentary Center.)
Albert Maysles, Lynn True and Nelson Walker, Ben Wu, David Usui, 2015, 76 min
In Transit journeys into the hearts and minds of everyday passengers aboard Amtrak's Empire Builder, the busiest long-distance train route in America. Captured in the tradition of Direct Cinema, the film unfolds as a series of interconnected vignettes, ranging from overheard conversations to moments of deep intimacy, in which passengers share their fears, hopes and dreams. In the space between stations, where 'real life' is suspended, we are swept into a fleeting community that transcends normal barriers, and where a peculiar atmosphere of contemplation and community develops. To some passengers, the train is flight and salvation, to others it is reckoning and loss. But for all, it is a place for personal reflection and connecting with others they may otherwise never know.
Q&A with co-directors Lynn True, Nelson Walker and David Usui, and producer Erika Dilday (and Executive Director of the Maysles Documentary Center) to follow 2:00pm screening.
Q&A with co-directors Lynn True and Nelson Walker, story producer Martha Wollner, and associate producer Sophie Windsor Clive to follow 7:30pm screening.
"...beautifully assembled and touching, and an apt memorial for Mr. Maysles."
-- The New York Times
"Maysles and his collaborators capture 'the rhythm of the tracks' in their film. It is a machine that generates empathy."
-- RogerEbert.com
"Themes of escape, transformation and 'finding yourself' form a common thread through the stories, whether it's running toward something or away from it, and show that everyone has a tale to tell if you just ask."
-- Rolling Stone
"Magnifying ordinary people by turning their internal processes into objects of fascination, 'In Transit' epitomizes the Maysles legacy."
-- Indiewire
Cinema Eye Honors 2016
Nominee, Outstanding Achievement in Direction
