Brett Morgen: An American Cinematheque Tribute

ABOUT THE SERIES: 

The American Cinematheque is honored to welcome filmmaker Brett Morgen for a tribute in the inaugural year of ‘This Is Not A Fiction’ to share and discuss his genre-defying work in JUNE 17th, 1994 for 30 FOR 30 and the devastating portrait of an American icon in KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK.

Morgen often experiments with the monolithic way of telling stories and allows his subjects to guide his form. In his critically-acclaimed 30 for 30 episodes, JUNE 17th, 1994, Morgen became the first (and only) filmmaker in the series to abandon the commonly used talking-head interview in place of real TV footage of the O. J. Simpson slow-moving chase. To call attention to the public’s obsession with Simpson, he famously cut the footage against other significant stories reported on that day that went mostly ignored. With KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK, he utilizes Cobain’s personal agitation as the tonal standard, turning to the Nirvana singer’s artwork and sound collage to further examine the troubled history of a singular talent whose death defined his life. Inviting his viewers to examine the tension between historical accuracy and our personal biases anchored to cultural moments, Morgen’s documentary work creates and undeniable presence in the contemporary nonfiction filmmaking landscape.