Synopsis

Robert Franks significant contribution to photography in the mid-twentieth century is unquestionable. His book, "The Americans", is arguably the most important American photography publication of the post-World War II period, and his photography has spawned numerous disciples, as well as a rich critical literature. However, at the very moment Frank achieved the status of a star at the end of the 1950s, he abandoned traditional still photography to become a filmmaker. He eventually returned to photography in the 1970s, but Frank, as a filmmaker, has remained a well-kept secret for almost four decades. "Robert Frank: The Complete Film Works" fills a long overdue gap by presenting every one of Frank's more than 25 films and videos, some of them classics of the New American Cinema of the 1950s and 60s. Volume I features a booklet with essays and photos, as well as a DVD.

Biography

Robert Frank was born in Zurich in 1924 to parents of Jewish descent. He emigrated to the United States two years after World War II ended, and since then he has produced work that changed the history of art and photography. Groundbreaking projects include The Americans, Lines of My Hand, Thank you, Black White and Things, Pull My Daisy and Cocksucker Blues. Frank was the subject of a major traveling exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. in 1994. He was awarded the Hasselblad Award for photography in 1996.