Synopsis

The Slovak photographer Zuzana Minácová has remained active in her work even through her old age. She achieved public fame through her characteristic photographs of national and international film stars, such as Michael Douglas, Robert de Niro, Keira Knightley, Danny de Vito and Scarlett Johansson – she has had them all in front of her lens. International film festivals in particular, such as the one in Karlovy Vary, were artistic breeding grounds for Minácová’s pictures. But her widespread reputation as an influential professional of her field is largely due to her early series of provocative, avant-garde art experiments. The Slovak director and Emmy Award winner, Matej Mináč, has created a moving and revealing portrait of his mother in this stunning documentary, supported not only by re-imagined film scenes, but by the photographer herself as she undertakes a soul-grinding journey to have another look at her past. From Minácová’s dramatic youth during the war, the fascist and communist persecution and oncoming capitalism in Eastern Europe, to the development of the cinema, her passion for photography and her work with celebrities, the documentary is a gripping experience. The past seems to haunt the renowned photographer, but she masters it with humour and optimism. What is her secret?

Guests

MATEJ MINAC

Matej Mináč
Director, scriptwriter, producer Through the Eyes of the Photographer
Master Class The Secrets of Success of Film Portraits
In Vienna: March 23-26

ZUZANA MINACOVA

Zuzana Mináčová
Protagonist Through the Eyes of the Photographer
Master Class The Secrets of Success of Film Portraits
In Vienna: 23-26