Jonas Mekas: Advice to the Young

The godfather of American avant-garde cinema, filmmaker and poet Jonas Mekas (b.1922 - d.2019), whom we met in his Brooklyn-home, has a clear piece of advice for aspiring filmmakers: “Don’t go to film school. Get a camera.”
If you have the necessary funds, film school is a nice place to meet like-minded people and make friends. Apart from that, it makes more sense to look into the specific things that you take special interest in - such as lenses - rather than to simply study everything: “Why do you need everything? Maybe you’ll never need it for what you want to do.”
Jonas Mekas (b.1922 in Lithuania - d.2019) is an experimental filmmaker and poet. He has filmed artists such as Andy Warhol and Allen Ginsberg, and his movies include ‘The Brig’ (1963) - which won him the Grand Prize at the Venice Film Festival the same year -, ‘Walden’ (1969), ‘Lost Lost Lost’ (1975), ‘Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol’ (1990), ‘As I was Moving Ahead I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty’ (2000) and ‘Sleepless Night Stories’ (2011). Since 2000, he has expanded his work into the area of film installations, exhibiting at prominent venues such as the Serpentine Gallery, the Centre Pompidou, Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, Moderna Museet, PS1 Contemporary Art Center MoMA and the Venice Biennale. Mekas is also responsible for the legendary Movie Journal (from 1958) in the Village Voice, and in 1964 he founded the Filmmakers’ Cinematheque, which eventually grew into Anthology Film Archives, one of the world’s largest and most important repositories of avant-garde cinema and screening venue. Moreover, he is one of the co-founders of New American Cinema Group. Mekas currently lives and works in New York City. For more about him see: www.jonasmekas.com
Jonas Mekas was interviewed by Kasper Bech Dyg in his home in Brooklyn, New York in November 2014.
Camera: Pierce Jackson
Produced and edited by: Kasper Bech Dyg
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2015
Supported by Nordea-fonden

[@imcyborgbutthatsok]

:( thank you i love you forever.

[@gtfovictoria184]

i'm cyborg but that's ok fave director cyborg?¿

[@imcyborgbutthatsok]

gtfo victoria yes

[@MultiGames4You]

@@imcyborgbutthatsok i like your edits and r.i.p jonas mekas :(

[@brunienke5992]

I discovered him recently and I'm liking very much his work

[@bigtree2x627]

dont step foot in northeast florida or its over for you little man. im serious

[@jacobharris4838]

I totally agree, great words of advice from the legend. When it comes down to it, cinema is driven by the power of what a camera can capture, and no formal training is needed, just a passion. BUT, if an aspiring filmmaker is going to college anyways, I think it's in their best interest to study film. They'll meet like minded people, make connections, and learn useful technical aspects.

[@sf1361]

Rip! You have been a huge inspiration for many generations of filmmakers and artists. ❤️

[@c.6890]

ive been seeing stills from his movies all my life, but until today i looked up who the images where from. and i came upon him (best thing that has happened in a while) . ive been seeing all of the excerpts of his movies i can find and ive cried my eyes out, they have such a beautiful nostalgic pain, its so real and beautiful and i feel like i got here too late but...well at least i got here. thank you, i'm so inspired by everything you do, rest in peace

[@thorneukranz]

thank you, Jonas Mekas. U still inspiring me after your life.

[@laius6047]

its true and its the best type of study. and it can be seen with many people who are best in their fields. ive heard this story many times. "i started doing something and then realised im really bad at X, so I started reading/watching/asking/learning about the X" its the best way, this way you focus preciselly on whats needed NOW, and it stays with you

[@iwaisman]

I recommend fondly Fragments of Paradise, a film about his life and career produced by his son and daughter. A beautiful homage.

[@itdenelll]

i miss this grandpa

[@beatriznunes8199]

thank you mekas! you don't even know in how many ways you saved me. thank you for everything.

[@cisqua93]

THANK YOU, FAREWELL

[@paulb111]

I wonder what will become of all of his years of material collecting. There's a treasure trove in there.

[@akulis2]

happy traveling, Jonas...

[@romemariee]

I miss you man

[@slingydopypubgtv544]

Rest in peace

[@Will-fn2ig]

I think this video just opened my eyes a little. Life isn’t about having a luxurious house, an amazing job or loads of money. It’s about being happy and learning how to achieve that. I think as humans we should do whatever we want to make us happy. Take everything one step at a time and learn what makes you feel good. Otherwise you’re just wasting the small amount of time you have in this shit...

[@manuelbayogisbert9267]

Absolute truth.

[@windowdresser1643]

I love this dude

[@camidevoto3344]

im crying

[@tutor221]

R.I.P.

[@aliyoutubelover7613]

Love you forever

[@inesbodlovic]

i love you

[@Thacarshee]

Sad how a small amount of people know this godfather

[@h.hholmes.492]

❤

[@h.hholmes.492]

*WOW*

[@rendroaryo5387]

💙

[@melodieslikememories]

[@smyd23]

1,000,000%

[@bingraobeijing]

if you are smart you can listen to yourself. I listen but I also study on my own. so, dear jonas, you are wrong on this

[@banan9782]

TL;DR: Neapsikrauk