William Klein: Films, 1958-99

William Klein’s films are a major body of work as remarkable and groundbreaking as his acclaimed photographic oeuvre. From Broadway by Light, his directorial debut in 1958, Klein scripted, directed and designed irreverent satires addressing themes as varied as the mainstream media, high fashion (Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?, 1966), world imperialism (Mr. Freedom, 1969) and biopolitics (The Model Couple, 1975). The American expatriate, who has lived in Paris since the 1950s, also authored a number of captivating documentaries, and collaborated with the likes of filmmakers Chris Marker, Louis Malle and Alain Resnais. This survey of Klein’s work in cinema will be presented in the Starr Auditorium to accompany the exhibition William Klein + Daido Moriyama, featuring rarely seen documentaries, such as The Pan-African Festival of Algiers (1969), and Messiah (1999), Klein’s visual interpretation of Handel’s oratorio as a choral portrait of contemporary life.