Today, I went to a tribute screening of "Primary" and "Crisis" by Ricky Leacock and D.A. Pennebaker. Ricky Leacock, who is now 84 years old, introduced the films, and did a Q and A afterwards. In 1982, when I was just out of college, I spent a summer living in an MIT dorm room. Ricky Leacock was teaching at MIT at the time, so I walked into his office one day and introduced myself. I was just a pretentious twenty-one year old kid who fancied himself a filmmaker, but Ricky was kind enough to invite me (and my friends) to his house for dinner. He welcomed us with open arms, cooked us a delicious meal, and regaled us with stories about Robert Flaherty and Jean-Luc Godard and John F. Kennedy. It was one of those evenings you never forget.
I hadn't seen him since that day, and he is obviously not long for this world. But his impish spirit still shines more brightly than ever. He is one of the most important filmmakers in the history of cinema, and it's sad that he will have to die before he receives his just due. For me, it was an honor just to have crossed paths with him.
posted by Caveh Zahedi at
11:09 PM
