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Jonas Mekas

Jonas Mekas

Directing·1922–2019·203 films

Jonas Mekas (24-12-1922 - 23-1-2019) was born in the farming village of Semeniškiai, Lithuania. In 1944, he and his brother Adolfas were taken by the Nazis to a forced labor camp in Elmshorn, Germany. After the War he studied philosophy at the University of Mainz. At the end of 1949 the UN Refugee Organization brought both brothers to New York City, where they settled down in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

As Director

As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (1972)
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches (1968)
Song of Avignon
Song of Avignon (1998)
Lost, Lost, Lost
Lost, Lost, Lost (1976)
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships & Intersections
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships & Intersections (1990)
Guns of the Trees
Guns of the Trees (1961)
Notes on the Circus
Notes on the Circus (1967)
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna (1967)
Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin
Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin (2011)
The Brig
The Brig (1964)
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life (1986)
Happy Birthday to John
Happy Birthday to John (1997)
Report from Millbrook
Report from Millbrook (1966)
Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man
Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man (2012)
Cassis
Cassis (1966)
Sleepless Nights Stories
Sleepless Nights Stories (2011)
This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography
This Side of Paradise: Fragments of An Unfinished Biography (1999)
The Song of Avila
The Song of Avila (1967)
The Song of Moscow
The Song of Moscow (1971)
The Song of Italy
The Song of Italy (1967)
The Song of Assisi
The Song of Assisi (1967)
The Song of Stockholm
The Song of Stockholm (1981)
WTC Haikus
WTC Haikus (2010)
In Between
In Between (1978)
Notes on an American Film Director at Work
Notes on an American Film Director at Work (2008)
Travel Songs
Travel Songs (1981)
Birth of a Nation
Birth of a Nation (1997)
Time & Fortune Vietnam Newsreel
Time & Fortune Vietnam Newsreel (1969)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg, Brooklyn (2003)
To Barbara Rubin with Love
To Barbara Rubin with Love (2006)
3.11 A Sense of Home Films
3.11 A Sense of Home Films (2011)
Yoko Ono Lennon's Courage Awards 2016: Laurie Anderson, Mohammad el Gharani, Eileen Boxer, RoseLee Goldberg, LoftOpera
Yoko Ono Lennon's Courage Awards 2016: Laurie Anderson, Mohammad el Gharani, Eileen Boxer, RoseLee Goldberg, LoftOpera (2016)
Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit
Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit (1997)
Imperfect Three-Image Films
Imperfect Three-Image Films (1995)
Quartet Number One
Quartet Number One (1991)
42 One Dream Rush
42 One Dream Rush (2010)
365 Day Project
365 Day Project (2007)
I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance
I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance (2017)
Notes for Jerome
Notes for Jerome (1978)
Salvador Dalí at Work
Salvador Dalí at Work (1964)
For Life, Against the War
For Life, Against the War (1967)
Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait (1980)
A Letter to Penny Arcade
A Letter to Penny Arcade (2001)
Film Magazine of the Arts
Film Magazine of the Arts (1965)
Requiem
Requiem (2019)
Brakhage Crosses Central Park
Brakhage Crosses Central Park (2006)
My Birthday
My Birthday (2014)
20 Little Films
20 Little Films (2012)
To John With Love
To John With Love (2006)
Celebrate Cinema 101
Celebrate Cinema 101 (1996)
Warhol and Maciunas
Warhol and Maciunas (2006)
John & Yoko Bed-In
John & Yoko Bed-In (2006)
Moires with Prof. Oster and Salvador Dalí
Moires with Prof. Oster and Salvador Dalí (2006)
Robert Frank Films
Robert Frank Films (2006)
Tapes
Tapes (2020)
Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007
Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007 (2007)
Destruction of the Berlin Wall
Destruction of the Berlin Wall (2014)
Andy at Work
Andy at Work (2006)
A Visit to Stan Brakhage
A Visit to Stan Brakhage (2006)
A Report from Venice
A Report from Venice (2015)
Halloween 1990
Halloween 1990 (2014)
Carl G. Jung by Jerome Hill or Lapis Philosophorum
Carl G. Jung by Jerome Hill or Lapis Philosophorum (1991)
Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old
Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old (1996)
Scenes from the Life of Raimund Abraham
Scenes from the Life of Raimund Abraham (2015)
Reminiscences from Germany
Reminiscences from Germany (2012)
Re: Maciunas and Fluxus
Re: Maciunas and Fluxus (2011)
Patti Smith at Anthology Film Archives Febr. 19, 1998
Patti Smith at Anthology Film Archives Febr. 19, 1998 (1998)
On the Holy Spirit
On the Holy Spirit (2016)
Monday Jan. 1, 2007
Monday Jan. 1, 2007 (2007)
Carl Dreyer
Carl Dreyer (2006)
Bibi Hansen
Bibi Hansen (2006)
My Bolexes
My Bolexes (2015)
Ein Märchen aus alten Zeiten
Ein Märchen aus alten Zeiten (2001)
Letters from Nowhere
Letters from Nowhere (1997)
Memories of Frankenstein
Memories of Frankenstein (1995)
Lavender
Lavender (2010)
Sunday December 30, 2007
Sunday December 30, 2007 (2007)
Cinémathèque Française
Cinémathèque Française (2006)
Velvet Underground's First Public Appearance
Velvet Underground's First Public Appearance (2006)
Friday March 16, 2007
Friday March 16, 2007 (2007)
Últimas correspondencias
Últimas correspondencias (2016)
I Leave Chelsea Hotel
I Leave Chelsea Hotel (2013)
Poets at the Living Theater
Poets at the Living Theater (2006)
Monks of Cinema
Monks of Cinema (2006)
A Walk
A Walk (1990)
The Education of Sebastian or Egypt Regained
The Education of Sebastian or Egypt Regained (1992)
Three Friends
Three Friends (2002)
Friday May 4, 2007: John Zorn – Cobra Part Two
Friday May 4, 2007: John Zorn – Cobra Part Two (2007)
Bed-In: John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Bed-In: John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Silence, Please
Silence, Please (2000)
Robert Haller's Wedding
Robert Haller's Wedding (1980)
Monday April 16, 2007
Monday April 16, 2007 (2007)
Mozart & Elvis
Mozart & Elvis (2000)
Keep Singing
Keep Singing (2011)
On My Way to Fujiyama I met..
On My Way to Fujiyama I met.. (1995)
From the diaries of a cinema maniac
From the diaries of a cinema maniac (2017)
The Sixties Quartet
The Sixties Quartet (2013)
Thursday Jan. 4, 2007: Pedro (São Paulo) or The Right Way To Make Capirinha
Thursday Jan. 4, 2007: Pedro (São Paulo) or The Right Way To Make Capirinha (2007)
Notes on Utopia
Notes on Utopia (2005)
My Paris Movie
My Paris Movie (2011)
Nam June Paik's Piano Piece
Nam June Paik's Piano Piece (1997)
The Song of Central Park
The Song of Central Park (2006)
The Destruction Quartet
The Destruction Quartet (2006)
All About Bolex
All About Bolex (2015)
Autobiography of a Man Who Carried his Memory in his Eyes
Autobiography of a Man Who Carried his Memory in his Eyes (2000)
A Few Notes on Andy's Factory
A Few Notes on Andy's Factory (1999)
My Mars Bar Movie
My Mars Bar Movie (2011)

As Actor

The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground (2021)Self
As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
As I Was Moving Ahead, Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)Narrator (voice)
Empire
Empire (1965)Self (uncredited)
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (1972)Self
Imagine
Imagine (1972)Self
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches (1968)Self
What Is Cinema?
What Is Cinema? (2013)Self
Song of Avignon
Song of Avignon (1998)Self
Lost, Lost, Lost
Lost, Lost, Lost (1976)Self
River of Fundament
River of Fundament (2014)Wake Guest
In the Mirror of Maya Deren
In the Mirror of Maya Deren (2002)Himself
9/11: Life Under Attack
9/11: Life Under Attack (2021)Self
Step Across the Border
Step Across the Border (1990)Butterfly Wing
Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film
Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film (2011)Himself
Nico Icon
Nico Icon (1995)Self
Tiny Tim: King for a Day
Tiny Tim: King for a Day (2020)Himself
Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin
Cinematic Correspondences: Jonas Mekas - J.L. Guerin (2011)Himself
It Came from Kuchar
It Came from Kuchar (2009)Self (archive footage)
Film: The Living Record of Our Memory
Film: The Living Record of Our Memory (2022)Self
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life (1986)Self (archive footage)
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV
Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV (2023)Self (archive footage)
ORG
ORG (1979)Self (archive footage)
Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis
Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis (2007)Self
Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man
Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man (2012)Jonas Mekas
Who Gets to Call It Art?
Who Gets to Call It Art? (2006)Self
Guest
Guest (2011)Self
‘Rameau’s Nephew’ by Diderot (Thanx to Dennis Young) by Wilma Schoen
‘Rameau’s Nephew’ by Diderot (Thanx to Dennis Young) by Wilma Schoen (1974)
Cinématon
Cinématon (1978)N°1590
The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man
The Queen of Sheba Meets the Atom Man (1981)
The Song of Avila
The Song of Avila (1967)Narrator
Strong Medicine
Strong Medicine (1981)
My Conversations on Film
My Conversations on Film (2013)Himself
Going Home
Going Home (1972)Himself
Notes on an American Film Director at Work
Notes on an American Film Director at Work (2008)Self
Jonas in the Desert
Jonas in the Desert (1994)Self
Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film
Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film (2019)Self
Self Discovery for Social Survival
Self Discovery for Social Survival (2019)Narrator (voice)
Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol
Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol (1990)Self
Andy Warhol's Factory People... Inside the Sixties Silver Factory
Andy Warhol's Factory People... Inside the Sixties Silver Factory (2008)
Fragments of Paradise
Fragments of Paradise (2022)Self (archive footage)
Anger Me
Anger Me (2006)Himself
Andy Warhol Screen Tests
Andy Warhol Screen Tests (1965)Self
Invocation: Maya Deren
Invocation: Maya Deren (1986)Himself
3.11 A Sense of Home Films
3.11 A Sense of Home Films (2011)Himself (voice) (segment "Mt. Ventoux")
Filmstudio, mon amour
Filmstudio, mon amour (2015)Sé stesso
Beyond the Bolex
Beyond the Bolex (2018)Self
Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit
Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit (1997)Self
The Definition of Insanity
The Definition of Insanity (2005)
Four Shadows
Four Shadows (1978)
Quartet Number One
Quartet Number One (1991)
Jonas Mekas in Kodachrome Days
Jonas Mekas in Kodachrome Days (2009)Himself
365 Day Project
365 Day Project (2007)Self
A Day in the Life of Andy Warhol
A Day in the Life of Andy Warhol (2015)Self
Excavating Taylor Mead
Excavating Taylor Mead (2005)Self
Galaxie
Galaxie (1966)Self
George: The Story of George Maciunas and Fluxus
George: The Story of George Maciunas and Fluxus (2018)Self
I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance
I Don't Know Which Tree It Comes From that Fragrance (2017)Self
Warhol's Cinema 1963-1968: Mirror for the Sixties
Warhol's Cinema 1963-1968: Mirror for the Sixties (1989)Self
Notes for Jerome
Notes for Jerome (1978)Self
Belladonna
Belladonna (1989)
Salvador Dalí at Work
Salvador Dalí at Work (1964)Self
Postcard from America
Postcard from America (1975)
Michael Snow Up Close
Michael Snow Up Close (1996)Himself
Award
Award (1992)Himself
Makeshift (for Mekas)
Makeshift (for Mekas) (2019)
A Poet from the Lower East Side
A Poet from the Lower East Side (1997)Self
Self-Portrait
Self-Portrait (1980)Himself
A Letter to Penny Arcade
A Letter to Penny Arcade (2001)
Visionaries
Visionaries (2010)Himself
Jonas Keeps Shooting Around
Jonas Keeps Shooting Around (2002)Himself
My Birthday
My Birthday (2014)
Journey to Lithuania
Journey to Lithuania (1971)Himself
Poem Posters
Poem Posters (1967)Self
Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground
Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground (2018)
New York Conversations
New York Conversations (2010)
Underground New York
Underground New York (1968)Self
The Invisible Father
The Invisible Father (2021)Self (archive footage)
Vies et morts d'Andy Warhol
Vies et morts d'Andy Warhol (2005)
Cinema and Sanctuary
Cinema and Sanctuary (2019)Self
Behind the Artist: Andy Warhol, an American Prophet
Behind the Artist: Andy Warhol, an American Prophet (2015)
Notes in Lifestyle Margins
Notes in Lifestyle Margins (2002)
Filmmakers
Filmmakers (1969)Himself
A Matter of Baobab
A Matter of Baobab (1968)
Meet The Kuchar Brothers
Meet The Kuchar Brothers (2006)
Tapes
Tapes (2020)
Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007
Tuesday Jan. 9, 2007 (2007)Self
Nitsch
Nitsch (2018)
EXPRMNTL
EXPRMNTL (2016)himself
Home Movies 1971-81
Home Movies 1971-81 (1985)
Vertigo
Vertigo (2022)
I Had Nowhere to Go
I Had Nowhere to Go (2016)Himself
Reminiscences of Jonas Mekas
Reminiscences of Jonas Mekas (2016)Self
Fire in the East: A Portrait of Robert Frank
Fire in the East: A Portrait of Robert Frank (1986)Self
Persistence of Vision
Persistence of Vision (1984)Self
A Report from Venice
A Report from Venice (2015)
Notes on the Buffalo Conference: “Autobiography in American Independent Cinema”
Notes on the Buffalo Conference: “Autobiography in American Independent Cinema” (1973)
Occhio privato sul nuovo mondo
Occhio privato sul nuovo mondo (1970)
Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old
Cinema Is Not 100 Years Old (1996)Himself
Cyclopean 3D: Life with a Beautiful Woman
Cyclopean 3D: Life with a Beautiful Woman (2011)
Jonas Mekas Anthology
Jonas Mekas Anthology (2022)Jonas Mekas
Reminiscences from Germany
Reminiscences from Germany (2012)Self
Re: Maciunas and Fluxus
Re: Maciunas and Fluxus (2011)
Screen Test [ST211]: Jonas Mekas
Screen Test [ST211]: Jonas Mekas (1966)himself
On the Holy Spirit
On the Holy Spirit (2016)
Viva Jonas!
Viva Jonas!Himself
Axiom of Choice
Axiom of Choice (2003)Self
Lavender
Lavender (2010)Self
Jonas Mekas in Paris 10/97
Jonas Mekas in Paris 10/97 (1998)
Sunday December 30, 2007
Sunday December 30, 2007 (2007)Self
Shooting Guns
Shooting Guns (1966)
Últimas correspondencias
Últimas correspondencias (2016)Self
Jonas Mekas in Budapest
Jonas Mekas in Budapest (1993)Himself
A Mixtape for Stom
A Mixtape for Stom (2025)
Elegy for J.M.
Elegy for J.M. (2019)
Doc
Doc (2008)Himself
J. Mekas
J. Mekas (1980)Self
Back from New York
Back from New York (2021)Himself
Sebastian and Jonas Leaving the Party
Sebastian and Jonas Leaving the Party (2019)
Question a Day
Question a Day (2008)
The Song of Central Park
The Song of Central Park (2006)Himself (voice)
All About Bolex
All About Bolex (2015)
Keep singing: a tribute to Jonas Mekas
Keep singing: a tribute to Jonas Mekas (2019)
Notes for a Déjà vu
Notes for a Déjà vu (2022)
The Signing
The Signing (2009)
Jonas in the Brig
Jonas in the Brig (1965)Himself
My Mars Bar Movie
My Mars Bar Movie (2011)himself
Jonas Mekas, Friday 13th October
Jonas Mekas, Friday 13th October (1996)Himself

As Writer