Stan Brakhage
Directing
Born: January 14, 1933 · Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Died: March 9, 2003 (aged 70)
Highest Rated
Biography
Stan Brakhage (January 14, 1933 - March 9, 2003) 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.
Photos (3)
Movies (30)
Cannibal! The Musical
Noon Sr.
Notes on the Buffalo Conference: “Autobiography in American Independent Cinema”
1973
Garden Path
2001
Prelude: Dog Star Man
1962
Life with Stan #4: Stan Painting
2002
Cyclopean 3D: Life with a Beautiful Woman
2011
Dog Star Man
1965
Wedlock House: An Intercourse
1959
Dog Star Man: Part III
1964
The Extraordinary Child
1954
Dog Star Man: Part I
1963
Faust's Other: An Idyll
1988
The Stars Are Beautiful
Narrator (voice)
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume One
2003
Flesh of Morning
1956
Dog Star Man: Part IV
1964
Keeping an Eye on Stan
2003
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume Two
2010
Dog Star Man: Part II
1964
A Visit to Stan Brakhage
2006
The Art of Vision
Man
The One Romantic Venture of Edward
1956
Preserving Cultural Traditions in a Period of Instability
Voice
Stan Brakhage on Gregory Markopoulos
1997
Stan Brakhage on Jim Davis
1997
Dinner with Brakhage and Gamow
2008
Trumpit
1956
I... Dreaming
1988
Song 1
1964
Tortured Dust
1984
Self / Appearances (28)
Screening Room
Himself · 1 eps
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
Self
Birth of a Nation
Self
Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film
Himself
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Self
Jonas in the Desert
Self
Looking at Forest of Bliss
Himself
Brakhage Crosses Central Park
Self
Filmmakers
Himself
Joseph Cornell: Worlds in a Box
Self
Window Water Baby Moving
Self (uncredited)
Reflecting Thought: Stan Brakhage
Self
In the Mirror of Maya Deren
Himself
Grand Opera: An Historical Romance
Himself (voice)
Sonic Youth: Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui (April 12, 2003)
Self (archive footage)
Legendary Epics Yarns and Fables Part 2: Stan Brakhage
Himself
Doodlin': Impressions Of Len Lye
Self
Invocation: Maya Deren
Himself
Cat's Cradle
Self
Stan Brakhage Exits the Cinema and Enters the Light of Day
Himself
Brakhage
Self
Reality's Invisible
Self
Brakhage on Brakhage
Self
For Stan
Himself
Abstract Cinema
Himself
Encomium
Self
Stan & Jane Brakhage
Self
Brakhage by Mothlight
Self (voice)
Upcoming (8)
Directing (347)
Self Song & Death Song
Director
20 Little Films
Director
Garden Path
Director
For Life, Against the War
Director
The Domain of the Moment
Director
Window Water Baby Moving
Director
Prelude: Dog Star Man
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The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes
Director
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section One
Director
"..." Reel 5
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Unglassed Windows Cast a Terrible Reflection
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Mothlight
Director
Passage Through: A Ritual
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Eye Myth
Director
Elementary Phrases
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Dog Star Man
Director
Wedlock House: An Intercourse
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Dog Star Man: Part III
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The Extraordinary Child
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Anticipation of the Night
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Christ Mass Sex Dance
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Dog Star Man: Part I
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Seasons...
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Cat's Cradle
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Faust's Other: An Idyll
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The Stars Are Beautiful
Director
From: First Hymn to the Night – Novalis
Director
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section Four
Director
Yggdrasill: Whose Roots Are Stars in the Human Mind
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Arabic Numeral Series 12
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By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume One
Director
Visions in Meditation #3: Plato's Cave
Director
Panels for the Walls of Heaven
Director
Short Films 1975: #3 (Hollis Frampton)
Director
Flesh of Morning
Director
Two: Creeley/McClure
Director
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section Two
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23rd Psalm Branch: Part II
Director
Dog Star Man: Part IV
Director
The God of Day Had Gone Down Upon Him
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A Child’s Garden and the Serious Sea
Director
The Garden of Earthly Delights
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Thigh Line Lyre Triangular
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The Shores of Phos: A Fable
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I Take These Truths
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Short Films 1975: #7 (Turning the Raccoon Loose)
Director
23rd Psalm Branch: Part I
Director
Comingled Containers
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For Marilyn
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The Machine of Eden
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Scenes from Under Childhood
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By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume Two
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 16
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Arabic Numeral Series 6
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Dark Night of The Soul
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Prelude 20
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My Mountain: Song 27
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Arabic Numeral Series 4
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The Horseman, the Woman, and the Moth
Director
“He was born, he suffered, he died.”
Director
My Mtn. Song 27 Part II: Rivers
Director
Ballad of the Colorado Ute
Director
The Dream, N.Y.C., The Return, The Flower
Director
In Consideration of Pompeii
Director
Short Films 1975: #9 (Forest Love Scene)
Director
Films by Stan Brakhage: An Avant-Garde Home Movie
Director
Short Films 1975: #4 (Lady in Glass)
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 19
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The Fur of Home
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Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse
Director
The Riddle of Lumen
Director
Dog Star Man: Part II
Director
Oh Life - a Woe Story - the A Test News
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 8
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 14
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 1
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The Dante Quartet
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The Process
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The Trip to Door
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The Art of Vision
Director
Faust IV
Director
Tortured Dust Part 3
Director
Tortured Dust Part 1
Director
Short Films 1975: #2 (Dante’s Styx)
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Visions in Meditation #2: Mesa Verde
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The Mammals of Victoria
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 9
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Sexual Meditation: Room with View
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Arabic Numeral Series 7
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Sexual Meditation: Faun's Room, Yale
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 17
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Fox Fire Child Watch
Director
Sexual Meditation: Open Field
Director
Visions in Meditation #1
Director
The Animals of Eden and After
Director
The Cat of the Worm's Green Realm
Director
Boulder Blues and Pearls and...
Director
Thot-Fal'N
Director
Rembrandt, Etc., and Jane
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 3
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 13
Director
Desistfilm
Director
In Between
Director
Short Films 1975: #5 (Niagara Falls)
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 18
Director
Short Films 1975: #1 (Jane’s Memory)
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Arabic Numeral Series 15
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The Wonder Ring
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Zone Moment
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Window Suite of Children's Songs
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Black Ice
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Arabic Numeral Series 11
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Short Films 1975: #6 (Stars, Chickens, Eyes, Candles)
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Three Films: Blue White/Blood's Tone/Vein
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Western History
Director
Arabic Numeral Series 2
Director
Faust 3: Candida Albacore
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Arabic Numeral Series 0 + 10
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Study in Color and Black and White
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Agnus Dei Kinder Synapse
Director
Two Found Objects of Charles Boultenhouse
Director
Sexual Meditation #1: Motel
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Song of the Mushroom
Director
Scenes from Under Childhood, Section Three
Director
The Earth Song of the Cricket
Director
Worm and Web Love
Director
Jesus Trilogy and Coda
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Dance Shadows by Danelle Helander
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Roman Numeral: V
Director
Sexual Meditation: Office Suite
Director
Loving
Director
The Thatch of Night
Director
Visions in Meditation #4: D.H. Lawrence
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Arabic Numeral Series 5
Director
Persian Series #1
Director
The Weir-Falcon Saga
Director
The Dead
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Airs
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Faustfilm: An Opera
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Lovesong
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Murder Psalm
Director
Tortured Dust Part 2
Director
Tortured Dust Part 4
Director
The Female Mystique and Spare Leaves (for Gordon)
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Black Vision
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The Lion and the Zebra Make God's Raw Jewels
Director
Max
Director
The Birds Of Paradise
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Desert
Director
Last Hymn to the Night - Novalis
Director
Short Films 1975: #10 (Painted Lightning)
Director
Fireloop
Director
Chartres Series
Director
Glaze of Cathexis
Director
Highs
Director
Crack Glass Eulogy
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SB
Director
Water for Maya
Director
Kindering
Director
Tragoedia
Director
Sartre's Nausea
Director
Short Films 1975: #8 (Small Town Streets)
Director
Persian Series #5
Director
The Text of Light
Director
Persian Series #2
Director
Prelude 15
Director
Chinese Series
Director
I... Dreaming
Director
Song 18
Director
Other
Director
Song 21
Director
Roman Numeral: VII
Director
Clancy
Director
23rd Psalm Branch
Director
Prelude 19
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The Dark Tower
Director
Very
Director
Resurrectus Est
Director
Soldiers and Other Cosmic Objects
Director
Persian Series #3
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Unconscious London Strata
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Dominion
Director
Nightcats
Director
Roman Numeral: I
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Night Music
Director
Roman Numeral: II
Director
Nodes
Director
Cricket Requiem
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Sirius Remembered
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Coupling
Director
Egyptian Series
Director
Short Films 1975
Director
Rage Net
Director
Song 5
Director
Blue Moses
Director
Babylon Series #3
Director
Roman Numeral: IV
Director
Interim
Director
Creation
Director
"..." Reel 2
Director
Song 26
Director
Duplicity III
Director
Sol
Director
Song 12
Director
Ephemeral Solidity
Director
The Presence
Director
Earthen Aerie
Director
Persian Series #10
Director
Loud Visual Noises
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Centre
Director
Stellar
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Lovesong 4
Director
Centuries of June
Director
Sluice
Director
Song 28
Director
Song 17
Director
Prelude 14
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Lovesong 3
Director
Persian Series #6
Director
City Streaming
Director
Shockingly Hot
Director
Naughts
Director
Vision of the Fire Tree
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Roman Numeral: VI
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Prelude 2
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Lovemaking
Director
Sincerity V
Director
Duplicity I
Director
Prelude 5
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Flight
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Blossom-Gift/Favor
Director
Song 20
Director
Sexual Saga
Director
Song 6
Director
Persian Series #4
Director
Eyes
Director
Hymn to Her
Director
Ascension
Director
Star Garden
Director
Bird
Director
Blue Value
Director
Song 22
Director
I...
Director
Prelude 1
Director
Lovesong 2
Director
The Wold-Shadow
Director
Babylon Series #2
Director
Prelude 23
Director
Hell Spit Flexion
Director
Rounds
Director
We Hold These
Director
Sexual Meditation: Hotel
Director
Concrescence
Director
"..." Reel 3
Director
Sincerity I
Director
Song 8
Director
Cannot Exist
Director
The "Lost" Films
Director
Prelude 17
Director
Autumnal
Director
Absence
Director
Song 16
Director
Song 11
Director
Jane
Director
Roman Numeral: VIII
Director
Prelude 16
Director
Prelude 7
Director
Song 9
Director
Colorado Legend
Director
@
Director
Burial Path
Director
Prelude 13
Director
Song 25
Director
Song 10
Director
Babylon Series #1
Director
Beautiful Funerals
Director
Song 1
Director
Occam's Thread
Director
Prelude 9
Director
Eye Myth Educational
Director
Purity and After
Director
Angels'
Director
Roman Numeral: III
Director
Door
Director
Fire of Waters
Director
Prelude 24
Director
Song 19
Director
Persian Series #11
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Song 13
Director
Salome
Director
Prelude 22
Director
Cloud Chamber
Director
Prelude 11
Director
The Loom
Director
Lovesong 5 & 6
Director
The Women
Director
Song 14
Director
Micro-Garden
Director
Song 24
Director
Prelude 3
Director
Song 3
Director
Pasht
Director
Window
Director
Prelude 4
Director
Tortured Dust
Director
Song 2
Director
Prelude 8
Director
Cannot Not Exist
Director
Song 7
Director
RR
Director
Paranoia Corridor
Director
Nightmare Series
Director
Night Mulch
Director
Duplicity II
Director
Marilyn's Window
Director
Sincerity II
Director
American 30s Song
Director
Song 29
Director
Skein
Director
Prelude 10
Director
Polite Madness
Director
Aftermath
Director
Aquarien
Director
Three Homerics
Director
Prelude 6
Director
Moilsome Toilsome
Director
Roman Numeral: IX
Director
"..." Reel 4
Director
Tryst Haunt
Director
The 'b' Series
Director
Daybreak and Whiteye
Director
Sincerity IV
Director
Prelude 21
Director
Persian Series #16
Director
Prelude 18
Director
Sincerity III
Director
The Harrowing
Director
The Peaceable Kingdom
Director
Short Films 1976
Director
Trio
Director
Matins
Director
Song 4
Director
Made Manifest
Director
Spring Cycle
Director
Confession
Director
Divertimento
Director
The Aerodyne
Director
Writing (11)
Unglassed Windows Cast a Terrible Reflection
Writer
Dog Star Man
Writer
The Extraordinary Child
Writer
The Stars Are Beautiful
Writer
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume One
Writer
By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume Two
Writer
Desistfilm
Writer
In Between
Writer
Blue Moses
Writer
Interim
Writer
Eye Myth Educational
Writer
Producing (1)
Other Crew (48)
The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg
Thanks
Sweetgrass
Thanks
Window Water Baby Moving
Director of Photography
Window Water Baby Moving
Editor
The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes
Director of Photography
The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes
Editor
Unglassed Windows Cast a Terrible Reflection
Cinematography
Unglassed Windows Cast a Terrible Reflection
Editor
Dog Star Man
Director of Photography
Dog Star Man
Editor
The Extraordinary Child
Cinematography
The Extraordinary Child
Editor
The Stars Are Beautiful
Cinematography
The Stars Are Beautiful
Editor
23rd Psalm Branch: Part II
Editor
23rd Psalm Branch: Part II
Cinematography
Thigh Line Lyre Triangular
Editor
Thigh Line Lyre Triangular
Cinematography
Drawings by Billy and His Friends
In Memory Of
Ballad of the Colorado Ute
Editor
Ballad of the Colorado Ute
Cinematography
The Art of Vision
Editor
The Art of Vision
Cinematography
Thot-Fal'N
Editor
Thot-Fal'N
Cinematography
Desistfilm
Cinematography
Desistfilm
Editor
In Between
Editor
In Between
Cinematography
The Wonder Ring
Editor
The Wonder Ring
Cinematography
The Text of Light
Director of Photography
Pittsburgh
Cinematography
Song 5
Editor
Song 5
Cinematography
Blue Moses
Cinematography
Blue Moses
Editor
Interim
Editor
Interim
Cinematography
Jane
Editor
Jane
Director of Photography
Colorado Legend
Editor
Colorado Legend
Cinematography
Colorado Legend
Director of Photography
Song 1
Cinematography
Song 1
Editor
Derealization
Visual Effects
Trio
Cinematography