Don’t Blink—Robert Frank

Don’t Blink—Robert Frank
Directed by Laura Israel

Sunday, September 24, 1 pm

Free. First come, first served.

“Informative without seeming unduly invasive.” —A.O. Scott, New York Times

Robert Frank, now 92 years old, is among the most influential artists of the last half-century. His seminal volume, The Americans, published in 1958, records the Swiss-born photographer’s candid reactions to peculiarly American versions of poverty and racism. Today, it is a classic work that helped define the off-the-cuff, idiosyncratic elegance that is the hallmark of Frank’s artistry.

Director Laura Israel (Frank’s longtime film editor) obtained unprecedented access to the notably irascible artist. The assembled portrait is not unlike Frank’s own movies—rough around the edges and brimming with surprises and insights—calling to mind Frank’s quintessential underground movie, the 1959 Beat short, Pull My Daisy (co-directed by Alfred Leslie, co-written by Jack Kerouac). Don’t Blink includes clips from Frank’s rarely seen movies, among them Me and My Brother and Cocksucker Blues. The soundtrack includes Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, White Stripes, Yo La Tengo, Tom Waits, and more. 2016, U.S., DCP, 82 minutes.

Screening in conjunction with the Louisville Photo Biennial and the exhibition Southern Elegy: Photography from the Stephen Reily Collection.