“Marina Abramovic The Artist Is Present” captivates the audience

by Ron Gilbert

In all honesty ,I must say that I was not familiar with the career of the incredibly creative artist, Marina Abramovic, but after seeing this documentary I would be the first in line to see her live in action.
The advantage audiences will have in seeing this documentary is that the film explores her 40 year career and traces her roots in Yugoslavia, where she was raised by communist parents in a home where love did not exist with her mother but she mentions that her grandmother on the other hand poured affection and supported her which allowed her to evolve into the artist she is today.
Audiences will actually feel like they are watching through a window Marina and her performance art as the film reflects this in flashbacks.
Director Matthew Akers(who is also the DP) along with co-director Jeff Dupre followed Abramovic for a year prior to the biggest show of her career,as she prepares for her March-to-May 2010 retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, organized by MoMA curator Klaus Biesenbach, the show includes key Abramovic pieces performed by her and her former 12-year partner, German performance artist Ulay who appears present day and discusses his relationship with Abramovic
Very much ground is covered in this documentary in which Marina shares from workshops at her Hudson Valley home with an ensemble of performers As I watched her techniques it reminded very much of Stanislavsky’s Moscow art Theatre and the famous teachers Vakhtangov and Grotowski and their work.
At the MoMA show we see Abramovich seated in a chair and facing an audience member in silence and rarely moving. They have lined up for hours to get a chance to face her and are thrilled to be able to do that. as we see the direct opposite of all her other works where there was always powerful movements.
What we view first hand is a fully committed artist who relentlessly pushes her body to the limits of endurance, and beyond and she will make you laugh,cry and happy to be present.
My words are not enough to describe this ,you must see the documentary.
HBO Documentary Films produced by Jeff Dupre, Maro Chermayeff. Co-producers, Francesca Von Habsburg. Executive producer, Sheila Nevins, Stanley Buchthal, Maja Hoffmann, David Koh. Directed by Matthew Akers. Co-director, Jeff Dupre.
With: Marina Abramovic, Ulay, Klaus Biesenbach, Davide Balliano, Chrissie Iles, Sean Kelly, Arthur Danto, David Blaine, James Franco.
Opens June 15,2012 AT Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles
http://marinafilm.com/view-trailer