After finding out Tuesday that "Finding Vivian Maier" was nominated by the Academy for Best Documentary, I was excited to discover that it was available for viewing on Showtime. Directed by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel, the film is a fascinating story that unravels like a life mystery as we are introduced to former employers of Vivian Maier, a woman who worked as a nanny for most of her life. After buying a chest at an auction house, John Maloof acquires around 100,000 photographs that Maier took over the course of her life. Her photos comprised a stunning collection of street photography that she never developed. Other personal items left behind after her death included clothes, several short films, and small trinkets.
The best way to view this film is to go in with little revealed ahead of time. Vivian Maier's life seems to have contained large spans of sadness and anger, but also moments of joy in France and with the children she took care of. Throughout her life, there was clearly a true love of taking photos of a world that she was wary of in a lot of respects, yet also intrigued by. A brilliant artist was there, either not wanting to have her art displayed publicly, or not having the means to make her lifelong passion a career. "Finding Vivian Maier" made me think about all the brilliant talent and work in the world that lies waiting to be discovered or even hidden from exposure forever. I highly recommend you seek out this film.
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