Richard Avedon: Behind the Iconic Images
Netflix will release Ron Howard’s documentary about Richard Avedon, his iconic portraits, personal archive, and project on America’s working class.
Ron Howard’s documentary about Avedon’s life and legacy is based on rare materials from his archive. The film explores his work with celebrities and his social portraits of Americans.
Netflix has released the trailer for «Avedon», a documentary about photographer Richard Avedon. The film is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard. It tells the story of the life and legacy of one of the most influential photographers.
The film draws on materials from Avedon’s personal archive, to which the filmmakers were given unprecedented access. It features previously unpublished photographs, personal footage of him at work, and new interviews with the photographer’s closest collaborators. According to Netflix, the film shows how Avedon’s artistic vision reflected and transformed the visual language of the 20th century, and explains why every iconic image has an untold story behind it.
«Avedon» premiered worldwide in May at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received rave reviews. In the summer, Netflix acquired the rights to the film, The Hollywood Reporter reports.
«I’ve always been drawn to stories that help us better understand extraordinary people,» Howard told the publication. «Richard Avedon was an artist whose work continues to resonate not only because of the incredible images he created, but also because of the humanity and curiosity behind them.»
From the start of his career to portraits of workers
As Harper’s Bazaar writes, the film traces the photographer’s journey and explores his ability to work with famous people, helping them relax in front of the camera and show themselves without their usual defenses.
Special attention is given to Avedon’s political interests. Though best known as a fashion photographer and for his work with Vogue, Life, Look, and Harper’s Bazaar, he also created socially significant images. His subjects included the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, and working-class life.
From 1979 to 1984, Avedon traveled across 21 states to photograph members of America’s working class. For the project, he used a Deardorff 8 × 10-inch large-format camera and a white backdrop. Along with his assistant Laura Wilson, the photographer met people and selected subjects from different professions and pursuits connected to rural life. His models included people rarely seen in public life, from drifters to miners.
Avedon took more than a thousand portraits for the project.
