Vishniac

FAIN: TR-269652-20

Katahdin Productions (Los Angeles, CA 90036-3251)
Laura Bialis (Project Director: August 2019 to present)

Production of a feature-length documentary about the photographer Roman Vishniac (1897–1990).

Vishniac will explore Roman Vishniac’s career and photographs and detail his dramatic life story. Made with the full cooperation of Vishniac’s daughter, Mara Vishniac Kohn, and with access to the Vishniac archive of more than 10,000 images, the documentary will delve into the complex person and story behind the photos. It will address controversies surrounding Vishniac, including recent debates about the authenticity of some of his photographs. It will reveal the ruptures in the family because of his flamboyant, often difficult personality. Finally, the film will frame Vishniac’s legacy as a key modernist photographer and preserver of memory. Vishniac’s collection is vast, unexpected, and causes us to step back in time. Through his iconic images, the film will expose new audiences to a lost world that is quickly fading from our grasp.