Jonas Mekas – Who Cares About Art?

“Who cares about… art? I don't care. I care about beautiful things; well-done things; things that move me; things I want to see again and again. It has to have life. It has to have intensity, energy” (Jonas Mekas). His was a personal form of filmmaking; one that rhymed with intimacy, diary, and visual poetry. “I don’t really make films; I only keep filming.”

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania

Jonas Mekas

UK, West Germany 1972 | 88 min. | English, Lithuanian

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania describes the reunion of the Mekas brothers with their 90-year-old mother when they return to the village of their birth for a first visit since the War. Mekas recounts his initial experiences in the US and ends with a recognition of the difficulty of recovering the past and returning ‘home.’ Reminiscences has been included in the US Library of Congress for its cultural, aesthetic, and historical significance.

Notes on the Circus

Jonas Mekas

USA 1966 | 12 min. | English

A three-ring circus shot in three sessions. Dedicated to Kenneth Anger, Notes is an exercise in instant in-camera editing. Music by the Jug Band and Jim Kweskin.