The essential piece of every serious selection of documentary film. The director and his cameraman Dan Holberg went to America at the very beginning of the 1980s renaissance and witnessed and documented everything that at the time pertained to be the American everyday life; all their impressions, events, cities, people, thoughts and feelings. Sam Leth stated that at that time that continent was to all somewhat strange and obscure, but in which he nevertheless definitively saw the reflection of his own culture as well. That same duo (director/camera man) shot a sequel twenty years later entitled ‘New Scenes from America’.
Jørgen Leth
Jørgen Leth, born in 1937, is a Danish poet and film director who is considered a leading figure in experimental documentary film making. Most notable are his documentary A Sunday in Hell (1977) and his surrealistic short film The Perfect Human (1968). His feature documentary The Five Obstructions (co-directed with Lars von Trier) premiered in Venice in 2003 and was Denmark’s candidate for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
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66 Scener Fra Amerika
Denmark
1981, 42', 35 mm
Directed by:
Jørgen Leth
Screenplay by:
Ole John
Cinematography:
Dan Holmberg
Edited by:
Kristian Levring
Music:
Erik Satie
Produced by:
John & Leth Film
