Actor · Director
Maya Deren
1917 – 1961
Full page on IMDbWho they are
- Born
- 29 April 1917, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Died
- 13 October 1961
- Known for
- Meshes of the Afternoon
, At Land, A Study in Choreography for Camera
Maya Deren (1917–1961) was a Kyiv-born American filmmaker, dancer, choreographer and theorist. She made short, dreamlike films that treated cinema as a poetic, ritual art. She is widely regarded as a founding figure of American experimental film, and she championed independent filmmaking through screenings and lectures.
Where to start
Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)Full guide
Her landmark debut, co-directed with Alexander Hammid, and a foundational work of American avant-garde cinema.
At Land (1944)Log in to add it to the library
A dreamlike short in which she plays a woman washed ashore, extending her exploration of identity and space.
A Study in Choreography for Camera (1945)Log in to add it to the library
A key work in screendance, using editing to link movements across different locations.
Ritual in Transfigured Time (1946)Log in to add it to the library
Combines dance, gesture and editing in a layered study of ritual and transformation.
Meditation on Violence (1949)Log in to add it to the library
A short film that uses movement inspired by Chinese martial arts as the basis for its structure.
Their films in the library
Awards
- 1947 Cannes Film Festival: prize for best 16mm avant-garde film, for Meshes of the Afternoon
The full list · 19
- 1943Meshes of the AfternoonLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as The Woman
- 1944At LandLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor
- 1944Witch's CradleLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1945A Study in Choreography for CameraLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1945A Study in Choreography for Camera - OuttakesLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1946Ritual in Transfigured TimeLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor
- 1949Meditation on ViolenceLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1949MedusaLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1951Ensemble for SomnambulistsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1958The Very Eye of NightLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1959Season of StrangersLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1986Invocation: Maya DerenLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Herself (archive footage)
- 1993Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of HaitiLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 2002In the Mirror of Maya DerenLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Herself
- 2002Maya Deren - Experimental FilmsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor
- 2006Cinema16: American Short FilmsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 2011Free Radicals: A History of Experimental FilmLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Herself (archive footage)
- 2011Maya Deren's SinkLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Herself (archival footage)
- 2012Maya Deren, Take ZeroLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Herself
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.