Person Details

Birthday:

Aliases: 요나스 메카스 , 乔纳斯·梅卡斯

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Semeniškiai, Lithuania

Homepage: http://jonasmekas.com

Movie Involvements: 256

TV Involvements: 1


Most Famous Work

Biography

Jonas Mekas was born in 1922 in the farming village of Semeniškiai, Lithuania. In 1944, he and his brother Adolfas were taken by the Nazis to a forced labor camp in Elmshorn, Germany. After the War he studied philosophy at the University of Mainz. At the end of 1949 the UN Refugee Organization brought both brothers to New York City, where they settled down in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Two months after his arrival in New York he borrowed money to buy his first Bolex camera and began to record brief moments of his life. He soon got deeply involved in the American Avant-Garde film movement. In 1954, together with his brother, he started Film Culture magazine, which soon became the most important film publication in the US. In 1958 he began his legendary Movie Journal column in the Village Voice. In 1962 he founded the Film-Makers' Cooperative, and in 1964 the Film-Makers' Cinematheque, which eventually grew into Anthology Film Archives, one of the world's largest and most important repositories of avant-garde cinema, and a screening venue. During all this time he continued writing poetry and making films. To this date he has published more than 20 books of prose and poetry, which have been translated into over a dozen languages. His Lithuanian poetry is now part of Lithuanian classic literature and his films can be found in leading museums around the world. He is largely credited for developing the diaristic forms of cinema. Mekas has also been active as an academic, teaching at the New School for Social Research, the International Center for Photography, Cooper Union, New York University, and MIT. Mekas' film The Brig was awarded the Grand Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1963. Other films include Walden (1969), Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (1972), Lost Lost Lost (1975), Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol (1990), Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (1992), As I was Moving Ahead I saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), Letter from Greenpoint (2005), Sleepless Nights Stories (2011) and Out-takes from the Life of a Happy Man. In 2007, he completed a series of 365 short films released on the internet -- one film every day -- and since then has continued to share new work on his website. Since 2000, Mekas has expanded his work into the area of film installations, exhibiting at the Serpentine Gallery, the Centre Pompidou, Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Moderna Museet (Stockholm), PS1 Contemporary Art Center MoMA, Documenta of Kassel, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and the Venice Biennale.

Most Famous Work

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
Average
8
The Brig
Average
7

The Brig

(1964) Cinematography
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Average
7
Lost, Lost, Lost
Average
7

Lost, Lost, Lost

(1976) Cinematography
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships & Intersections
Average
6
Hallelujah the Hills
Average
6

Hallelujah the Hills

(1963) Assistant Director
Empire
Average
4

Empire

(1965) Cinematography
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Average
7

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2023 Self (archive footage)
2022 N/A
Jonas Mekas
Self (archive footage)
Self
N/A
N/A
2021 Himself
Self
2020 N/A
Himself
2019 N/A
N/A
Self
Narrator (voice)
Self
N/A
Self
N/A
N/A
N/A
2018 Self
N/A
Self
N/A
2017 Self
2016 N/A
Himself
Self
2015 Self
N/A
N/A
2014 N/A
Wake Guest
2013 Himself
Self
2012 Jonas Mekas
Himself
Himself
2011 Himself (voice) (segment "Mt. Ventoux")
himself
Himself
Himself
Self
N/A
2010 himself
N/A
Self
Himself
2009 Himself
Self (archive footage)
N/A
Self
2008 Himself
N/A
N/A
Self
2007 Himself
Himself
Self
2006 Self
Himself (voice)
Himself
Himself
Self
N/A
2005 N/A
Self
2004 Self
Mekas
2003 himself
N/A
2002 Himself
Himself
2001 N/A
2000 Self / Narrator
Himself
1999 N/A
Himself
1998 Self
Self
1997 Himself
Himself
1996 Himself
Himself
Himself
1995 Himself
1994 Self
1992 N/A
Himself
1991 N/A
N/A
Himself
1990 Butterfly Wing
Self
1989 N/A
Self
1986 Himself
Self (archive footage)
Himself
1985 N/A
1984 Himself
1981 N/A
N/A
1980 N/A
Himself
Self
1979 Self (archive footage)
Himself
1978 N°1590
N/A
Self
1976 Self
1975 N/A
1974 N/A
1972 Self
Himself
Self
1971 Himself
1970 N/A
N/A
1969 Himself
1968 Self
Himself
Himself
1967 Narrator
Self
1966 himself
Himself
Lounge Patron
1965 Self
N/A
Himself
Himself
Self (uncredited)
1964 N/A
1962 N/A
Himself
Self
N/A
Year Character Movie/Tv

Directing

Year Role Movie/Tv
2020 Director
2019 Director
2017 Director
Director
Director
2016 Director
Director
2015 Director
Director
Director
Director
2014 Director
Director
2013 Director
2012 Director
Director
Director
Director
2011 Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
2010 Director
Director
Director
Director
2009 Director
Director
2008 Director
2007 Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
2006 Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
2005 Director
Director
2004 Director
2003 Director
Director
2002 Director
Director
2001 Director
Director
Director
Director
2000 Director
Director
Director
Director
1999 Director
Director
Director
Director
1998 Director
Director
1997 Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
1996 Director
Director
Director
1995 Director
Director
Director
1993 Director
1992 Director
Director
1991 Director
Director
1990 Director
Director
Director
1986 Director
1983 Director
Director
Director
1981 Director
Director
1980 Director
Director
1979 Director
1978 Director
Director
1976 Director
Director
1972 Director
1971 Director
1970 Director
1969 Director
Director
1968 Director
1967 Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
1966 Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
1965 Director
Director
Director
1964 Director
Director
1963 Assistant Director
1961 Director
1960 Director
1958 Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Year Role Movie/Tv

Writing

Crew

Camera

Year Role Movie/Tv
2015 Camera Operator
2010 Director of Photography
Director of Photography
2008 Director of Photography
1995 Director of Photography
1990 Camera Operator
1966 Camera Operator
Director of Photography
1965 Director of Photography
Year Role Movie/Tv

Production

Editing

Sound

Year Role Movie/Tv
1966 Sound Designer
Year Role Movie/Tv

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