The Coolidge Corner Theatre

"Director Alexander Olch's re-creation/re-imagining of [Richard P.] Rogers's thwarted autobiographical pic performs an act of cinematic archeology that could only have been a labor of love. The result is a profoundly empathetic study of unfulfilled artistic ambition, and of the emotional ruthlessness that often separates great artists from decent people." - John Anderson, Washington Post

Read the full review here!

Filmmaker Richard P. Rogers tried for twenty years to make a documentary about his own life. He died in 2001, leaving the project unfinished, until his widow, acclaimed photographer Susan Meiselas, commissioned his former student Alexander Olch to make a film out of the pieces. Starting in the Hamptons, in the town of Wainscott, the film weaves Rogers’ footage into a journey through childhood memories, a less than encouraging mother, a family background of privilege, and Rogers’ persistent, dogged attempts to document his own life. Rogers’ friend, actor and writer Wallace Shawn, joins in the process, as the film investigates the differences between documentary and fiction, and tells the tragic story of Rogers’ life.

dir. Alexander Olch, documentary 1h22m