Stan Brakhage

Personal Info

Known For Directing

Known Credits 426

Gender Male

Birthday January 14, 1933

Day of Death March 9, 2003 (70 years old)

Place of Birth Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Also Known As

  • James Stanley Brakhage
  • 스탠 브래키지
  • スタン・ブラッケージ
  • 斯坦·布拉哈格
  • Стэн Брэкидж
  • სტენ ბრეკიჯი

Content Score 

100

Yes! Looking good!

Looks like we're missing the following data in en-US or en-US...

Login to report an issue

Biography

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.

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.

Directing

2012
2010
2003
2003
2003
2002
2002
2002
2002
2002
2002
2002
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1999
1998
1998
1998
1998
1998
1997
1997
1997
1997
1997
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1996
1995
1995
1995
1995
1995
1995
1995
1995
1995
1994
1994
1994
1994
1994
1994
1994
1994
1994
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1992
1992
1992
1991
1991
1991
1991
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1990
1989
1989
1989
1989
1988
1988
1988
1988
1988
1988
1987
1987
1987
1987
1986
1986
1986
1986
1986
1986
1985
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1984
1983
1982
1982
1982
1982
1982
1982
1982
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1981
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1980
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1979
1978
1978
1978
1978
1978
1978
1978
1978
1978
1978
1977
1977
1977
1977
1976
1976
1976
1976
1976
1976
1976
1976
1976
1976
1976
1975
1975
1975
1975
1975
1975
1975
1975
1975
1975
1975
1975
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1974
1973
1973
1973
1973
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1972
1971
1971
1971
1971
1971
1971
1971
1971
1970
1970
1970
1970
1970
1970
1970
1969
1969
1969
1969
1969
1969
1969
1968
1968
1968
1968
1968
1967
1967
1967
1967
1967
1967
1967
1966
1966
1966
1966
1966
1966
1966
1966
1965
1965
1965
1965
1965
1965
1965
1965
1965
1965
1965
1965
1965
1965
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1964
1963
1963
1963
1963
1962
1962
1962
1962
1961
1961
1961
1960
1960
1959
1959
1959
1959
1958
1957
1957
1956
1956
1956
1955
1955
1955
1955
1955
1954
1954
1954
1953
1953
1952

Acting

2022
2021
2013
2011
2009
2006
2006
2006
2003
2003
2003
2003
2002
2002
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1998
1997
1997
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1993
1991
1989
1988
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1981
1978
1974
1972
1972
1969
1965
1965
1964
1964
1964
1963
1963
1962
1959
1959
1959
1956
1956
1956
1954

Editing

1985
1978
1974
1972
1967
1965
1965
1964
1964
1962
1962
1961
1961
1960
1959
1955
1955
1955
1954
1954
1954
1953
1952

Crew

2011
2009
1978
1976
1974
1967
1965
1964
1964
1962
1961
1961
1960
1955
1955
1955
1954
1954
1954
1953
1952

Writing

1974
1972
1965
1962
1962
1955
1955
1954
1954
1954
1953
1952

Camera

1985
1974
1972
1969
1965
1960
1959

Production

1965

Sound

1954

Can't find a movie or TV show? Login to create it.

Global

s focus the search bar
p open profile menu
esc close an open window
? open keyboard shortcut window

On media pages

b go back (or to parent when applicable)
e go to edit page

On TV season pages

(right arrow) go to next season
(left arrow) go to previous season

On TV episode pages

(right arrow) go to next episode
(left arrow) go to previous episode

On all image pages

a open add image window

On all edit pages

t open translation selector
ctrl+ s submit form

On discussion pages

n create new discussion
w toggle watching status
p toggle public/private
c toggle close/open
a open activity
r reply to discussion
l go to last reply
ctrl+ enter submit your message
(right arrow) next page
(left arrow) previous page

Settings

Want to rate or add this item to a list?

Login

You need to be logged in to continue. Click here to login or here to sign up.