Photo by Katherine Rountree
The small theater at the SCAD Museum of Art was packed yesterday during the screening of “Finding Vivian Maier.” The documentary followed the discovery and rise to fame of the unknown photographer Vivian Maier.
For director John Maloof, it started with a box of negatives and soon turned into a journey to discover the artist behind the mysterious photographs. Maloof first began digging into Maier’s life following her death and made the documentary as a way to capture his exploration.
Maloof tracked down as many of Maier’s possessions as he could through the families she nannied for. His collection of Maier’s work now spans thousands of photographs and hundreds of rolls of undeveloped black and white and color film.
However, Maloof was interested in far more than just the photographs. He spent years tracking down as much information about Maier herself as possible. He interviewed a few of the families she worked for and uncovered her own family’s past. Maier’s mysterious nature sparked an adventure to look at her in the raw way she was able to capture so well in her photos.
The documentary itself was shot well, with only a few awkward cuts or pauses. However, the storyline itself seemed to cover too large a span of emotion, shifting Maier from a quiet loner to a loving caregiver to an abusive outcast in minutes. The film did well to bring in small bits of humor and at the same time pulled at heartstrings.
In the end, the biggest question that remains is whether it is right for Maloof to showcase the work of someone so secluded without her permission. That question that will unfortunately never be answered, but for the time being we will simply enjoy and appreciate the beautiful photography of Vivian Maier.
