I just saw the documentary today, which led me to finding the website of her pics, and all I can say is … stunning! Oh, and remarkable!
The documentary was on Ontario’s TVO last night. I was about to go to bed when it came on, but stayed up to watch it through to the end. Just amazing!
Thanks Boyo Jim. I meant to bump this thread myself and kept forgetting.
Congratulations to Maloof and everyone else involved with Finding Vivian Maier for receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature! I actually whooped out loud when its name was read!
There’s a recent NYT story, behind a pay wall I think, that talks about a lawsuit filed over control of the collection. Some other photographer, who’s also a lawyer, took offense at the idea that Vivien’s heirs were not profiting from her work. So the guy searched for and found a relative and convinced the man to sue. Both parties agree that she never married or had children. Both parties agree that Maloof had made efforts to find an heir, and that Maloof found a relative, and made an “undisclosed payment” to acquire rights to the material.
But the attorney’s claim is that the relative he found is a closer relative than the one Maloof found, and so should have been the one to accept or reject the agreement Maloof offered.
The story says the entire collection might be taken out of public view while the case is in dispute.
An interesting bit of trivia: another Chicago documentary that was widely expected to receive an Oscar nomination did not. That was Life Itself, a doc about Roger Ebert by Steve James (Hoop Dreams). Finding Vivian Maier, which did receive a nomination, was co-directed sand co-produced by Charlie Siskel, Gene Siskel’s son. I wish they’d both been nominated.
I hadn’t heard that Boyo Jim. How long ago was that article? I’m glad it didn’t affect the movie being nominated.
Wait, I found a couple of articles from last September.
The LA Times (much longer and more informative)
What a mess!