An introduction to one of the most influential photographers of our time, who can find significance in banality.
British photographer Martin Parr is a superstar of documentary photography, a member of the legendary photographic cooperative Magnum Photos. He earned acclaim as a master of the grotesque who captured the daily lives of the British working class but is equally loved by the fashion industry for his ironic approach to glamor and luxury. Parr knowns how to find an angle that reveals what is important and expressive in what many may find mundane and tacky. His works make fun of the class system and consumerism, but without malice, exploring our reality with irony and attention.
In the documentary, curators and colleagues speak about Parr’s career—his transition to color (black-and-white used to be preferred for documentary photography) and why Magnum did not want to accept him as a member. But most importantly, the film shows Parr at work. An ordinary-looking senior in a wrinkled shirt and sandals over socks, he stops a lady in the street, takes a picture, and generously praises her bag; or enjoys celebrating the coronation of Charles III with his compatriots, while documenting the event. «I like getting to know people, ” he says. «They are crazy, they are unpredictable, they are interesting.» More than an artist’s biography, this film is an encounter with a kind and wise man.
The film will be screened in English with Russian subtitles.
«I Am Martin Parr»
Director: Lee Shulman
France, UK, 2024. 68 min.
18+
