Jonas Mekas
Directing
Born: December 24, 1922 · Semeniškiai, Lithuania
Died: January 23, 2019 (aged 96)
Highest Rated
Biography
Jonas Mekas (24 December 1922 - 23 January 2019) was born 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.
Photos (3)
Movies (58)
River of Fundament
Wake Guest
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
Narrator (voice)
Nitsch
2018
Cinématon
N°1590
The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man
1981
Strong Medicine
1981
Behind the Artist: Andy Warhol, an American Prophet
2015
Belladonna
1989
‘Rameau’s Nephew’ by Diderot (Thanx to Dennis Young) by Wilma Schoen
1974
The Definition of Insanity
2005
Notes on the Buffalo Conference: “Autobiography in American Independent Cinema”
1973
On the Holy Spirit
2016
Notes in Lifestyle Margins
2002
Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground
2018
Tapes
2020
Vertigo
2022
Step Across the Border
Butterfly Wing
My Birthday
2014
Notes for a Déjà vu
2022
Home Movies 1971-81
1985
Andy Warhol's Factory People... Inside the Sixties Silver Factory
2008
A Mixtape for Stom
2025
Vies et morts d'Andy Warhol
2005
Keep singing: a tribute to Jonas Mekas
2019
Letter to John from Jonas
1999
Filmstudio, mon amour
Sé stesso
Meet The Kuchar Brothers
2006
New York Conversations
2010
Self Discovery for Social Survival
Narrator (voice)
Elegy for J.M.
2019
All About Bolex
2015
Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man
Jonas Mekas
Makeshift (for Mekas)
2019
Re: Maciunas and Fluxus
2011
Shooting Guns
1966
Cyclopean 3D: Life with a Beautiful Woman
2011
The Love Merchant
Lounge Patron
Postcard from America
1975
Jonas Mekas Anthology
Jonas Mekas
A Matter of Baobab
1968
The Song of Avila
Narrator
Zefiro Torna or Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (Fluxus)
1992
A Report from Venice
2015
Taping for As I was Moving Ahead…
2006
Cinématon n°1590 : Jonas Mekas
1992
Jonas Mekas in Paris 10/97
1998
Four Shadows
1978
Occhio privato sul nuovo mondo
1970
Question a Day
2008
A Letter to Penny Arcade
2001
End of the Millennium Espresso
2006
The Signing
2009
Jonas' Independence Speech at the Anniversary of the Filmmaker's Cooperative
2006
Sebastian and Jonas Leaving the Party
2019
My Paris Movie
2011
Quartet Number One
1991
Graffiti Museum Bronx, NYC
2006
Kreutzer Sonata
2006
Self / Appearances (88)
Kulturplatz
Self · 1 eps
The Velvet Underground
Self
Film: The Living Record of Our Memory
Self
Imagine
Self
It Came from Kuchar
Self (archive footage)
Fire in the East: A Portrait of Robert Frank
Self
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships and Intersections
Self
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
Self (archive footage)
365 Day Project
Self
Notes on an American Film Director at Work
Self
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Self
3.11 A Sense of Home Films
Himself (voice) (segment "Mt. Ventoux")
This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography
Self
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
Self (archive footage)
A Day in the Life of Andy Warhol
Self
Fragments of Paradise
Self (archive footage)
Guest
Self
Birth of a Nation
Self
Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film
Himself
Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol
Self
What Is Cinema?
Self
Laboratorium Anthology
Himself
9/11: Life Under Attack
Self
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Self
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
self
Lost, Lost, Lost
Self
Song of Avignon
Self
Jonas in the Desert
Self
Nico Icon
Self
Doc
Himself
George: The Story of George Maciunas and Fluxus
Self
Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film
Self
Empire
Self (uncredited)
ORG
Self (archive footage)
Galaxie
Self
Jonas in the Brig
Himself
Salvador Dalí at Work
Self
A Poet from the Lower East Side
Self
Excavating Taylor Mead
Self
Tiny Tim: King for a Day
Himself
Up Your Legs Forever
Self - Legs
J. Mekas
Self
Going Home
Himself
Andy Warhol Screen Tests
Self
Reminiscences of Jonas Mekas
Self
Filmmakers
Himself
Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit
Self
In the Mirror of Maya Deren
Himself
I Had Nowhere to Go
Himself
Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis
Self
Warhol's Cinema 1963-1968: Mirror for the Sixties
Self
The Invisible Father
Self (archive footage)
Persistence of Vision
Self
Beyond the Bolex
Self
I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance
Self
Jonas Keeps Shooting Around
Himself
Últimas correspondencias
Self
Notes for Jerome
Self
Axiom of Choice
Self
Underground New York
Self
Sunday December 30, 2007
Self
![Screen Test [ST211]: Jonas Mekas](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Fw342%2F5yEUYxLQWc71aL7OGrhSnpslsQO.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Screen Test [ST211]: Jonas Mekas
himself
Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007
Self
Award
Himself
Cinema and Sanctuary
Self
Notes on Utopia
Self
Invocation: Maya Deren
Himself
EXPRMNTL
himself
My Mars Bar Movie
himself
Back from New York
Himself
My Conversations on Film
Himself
Jonas Mekas in Kodachrome Days
Himself
Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin
Himself
Self-Portrait
Himself
Who Gets to Call It Art?
Self
Michael Snow Up Close
Himself
Jonas Mekas, Friday 13th October
Himself
Reminiscences from Germany
Self
Anger Me
Himself
Requiem for a Manual Typewriter
Himself
Journey to Lithuania
Himself
Poem Posters
Self
Visionaries
Himself
Jonas Mekas in Budapest
Himself
Lavender
Self
Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old
Himself
The Song of Central Park
Himself (voice)
Travel Songs
Self (uncredited)
Upcoming (1)
Directing (128)
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships and Intersections
Director
365 Day Project
Director
42 One Dream Rush
Director
Notes on an American Film Director at Work
Director
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
Director
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Director
3.11 A Sense of Home Films
Director
This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography
Director
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
Director
Birth of a Nation
Director
Mont Ventoux
Director
Mozart & Elvis
Director
The Brig
Director
Laboratorium Anthology
Director
Hare Krishna
Director
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Director
Lost, Lost, Lost
Director
Song of Avignon
Director
Guns of the Trees
Director
In Between
Director
Notes on the Circus
Director
John & Yoko Bed-In
Director
20 Little Films
Director
Salvador Dalí at Work
Director
Allen Ginsberg Sings Blues
Director
Film Magazine of the Arts
Director
To John With Love
Director
Poets at the Living Theater
Director
Monday April 16, 2007
Director
Andy at Work
Director
Silence, Please
Director
On the Holy Spirit
Director
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Director
Ein Märchen aus alten Zeiten
Director
Tapes
Director
Moires with Prof. Oster and Salvador Dalí
Director
Brakhage Crosses Central Park
Director
Celebrate Cinema 101
Director
Sleepless Nights Stories
Director
Thursday Jan. 4, 2007: Pedro (São Paulo) or The Right Way To Make Capirinha
Director
Bibi Hansen
Director
For Life, Against the War
Director
Robert Frank Films
Director
My Birthday
Director
Happy Birthday to John
Director
To Barbara Rubin with Love
Director
Jackie & Lee Fragments of an Unfinished Biography
Director
Robert Haller's Wedding
Director
Carl Dreyer
Director
My Bolexes
Director
Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit
Director
Time & Fortune Vietnam Newsreel
Director
Carl G. Jung by Jerome Hill or Lapis Philosophorum
Director
A Few Notes on Andy's Factory
Director
Letter to John from Jonas
Director
Cassis
Director
A Walk
Director
Monday Jan. 1, 2007
Director
Keep Singing
Director
I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance
Director
Letters from Nowhere
Director
Velvet Underground's First Public Appearance
Director
The Song of Italy
Director
Últimas correspondencias
Director
Notes for Jerome
Director
The Song of Stockholm
Director
Elia Kazan
Director
Destruction of the Berlin Wall
Director
Memories of Frankenstein
Director
All About Bolex
Director
Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man
Director
Sunday December 30, 2007
Director
Re: Maciunas and Fluxus
Director
Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007
Director
Hallelujah the Hills
Assistant Director
Notes on Utopia
Director
A Visit to Timothy Leary
Director
Patti Smith at Anthology Film Archives Febr. 19, 1998
Director
Imperfect Three-Image Films
Director
Autobiography of a Man Who Carried his Memory in his Eyes
Director
On My Way to Fujiyama I met..
Director
The Song of Avila
Director
My Mars Bar Movie
Director
Nam June Paik's Piano Piece
Director
Zefiro Torna or Scenes from the Life of George Maciunas (Fluxus)
Director
A Report from Venice
Director
The Song of Moscow
Director
Warhol and Maciunas
Director
Taping for As I was Moving Ahead…
Director
New Seasons Movement IV
Director
I Leave Chelsea Hotel
Director
Three Friends
Director
Halloween 1990
Director
The Song of Assisi
Director
From the diaries of a cinema maniac
Director
Friday March 16, 2007
Director
Yoko Ono Lennon's Courage Awards 2016: Laurie Anderson, Mohammad el Gharani, Eileen Boxer, RoseLee Goldberg, LoftOpera
Director
The Monks of Cinema
Director
Requiem
Director
Scenes from the Life of Raimund Abraham
Director
Report from Millbrook
Director
Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin
Director
Self-Portrait
Director
The Education of Sebastian or Egypt Regained
Director
WTC Haikus
Director
Friday May 4, 2007: John Zorn – Cobra Part Two
Director
Fluxus on the Hudson
Director
Reminiscences from Germany
Director
Requiem for a Manual Typewriter
Director
The Sixties Quartet
Director
A Letter to Penny Arcade
Director
Cinémathèque Française
Director
A Visit to Stan Brakhage
Director
Lavender
Director
Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old
Director
The Song of Central Park
Director
End of the Millennium Espresso
Director
Jonas' Independence Speech at the Anniversary of the Filmmaker's Cooperative
Director
My Paris Movie
Director
Quartet Number One
Director
Graffiti Museum Bronx, NYC
Director
Phil Glass Plays for Ralph Steiner's Mechanical Principles
Director
Happy Easter Ride
Director
Travel Songs
Director
The Destruction Quartet
Director
I Am Searching for Nothing
Director
Kreutzer Sonata
Director
Monks of Cinema
Director
Writing (15)
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
Writer
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Writer
This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography
Writer
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
Writer
Birth of a Nation
Writer
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Writer
Lost, Lost, Lost
Writer
Song of Avignon
Writer
Guns of the Trees
Writer
Salvador Dalí at Work
Writer
Brakhage Crosses Central Park
Writer
Senseless
Writer
Letters from Nowhere
Writer
Self Discovery for Social Survival
Writer
Notes for Jerome
Writer
Producing (2)
Other Crew (49)
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships and Intersections
Editor
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships and Intersections
Director of Photography
Notes on an American Film Director at Work
Director of Photography
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
Cinematography
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
Editor
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Cinematography
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Editor
This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography
Editor
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
Cinematography
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
Editor
Birth of a Nation
Editor
Birth of a Nation
Cinematography
The Brig
Cinematography
The Brig
Director of Photography
Laboratorium Anthology
Camera Operator
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Editor
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Cinematography
Lost, Lost, Lost
Cinematography
Lost, Lost, Lost
Editor
Song of Avignon
Director of Photography
Song of Avignon
Editor
Guns of the Trees
Cinematography
Guns of the Trees
Editor
Notes on the Circus
Editor
Notes on the Circus
Director of Photography
Empire
Cinematography
The Velvet Underground: Psychiatrist's Convention, NYC, 1966
Camera Operator
Salvador Dalí at Work
Cinematography
Film Magazine of the Arts
Editor
Film Magazine of the Arts
Cinematography
Silence, Please
Cinematography
Brakhage Crosses Central Park
Editor
Brakhage Crosses Central Park
Cinematography
My Bolexes
Cinematography
Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit
Cinematography
Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit
Editor
Time & Fortune Vietnam Newsreel
Cinematography
Carl G. Jung by Jerome Hill or Lapis Philosophorum
Editor
Cassis
Director of Photography
Cassis
Editor
A Walk
Camera Operator
Letters from Nowhere
Editor
Notes for Jerome
Cinematography
All About Bolex
Camera Operator
European Diaries
Sound Designer
On My Way to Fujiyama I met..
Director of Photography
WTC Haikus
Director of Photography
WTC Haikus
Editor
Lavender
Director of Photography