The Stranger

Matthew Akers and Jeff Dupre’s fascinating documentary comes at its performance-art subject from a variety of angles. One is a standard Behind the Music–type portrait of the artist, made extraordinary by the facts of Marina Abramović’s life, which is packed with extreme gestures, violence, and deprivation (and that’s just her work). Another is the real-time run-up to Abramović’s 2010 career retrospective at MoMA, featuring The Artist Is Present, a new work that required her to sit in a chair making eye contact with strangers, one after another, for three months. The resulting film is an illuminating, emotionally engaging thrill ride. (SIFF Cinema at the Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N, www.siff.net, $10) by David Schmader

Link  |  Post Comment (2)