James Hamilton is more than a photojournalist. His career has taken many turns, starting with his iconic Village Voice portraits of New York City’s emergent music, art and club scene in the 1970s and 80s, and his eventual role as a still photographer for Director Wes Anderson, who executive produced this film. A New York legend himself, Hamilton created iconic images of musicians like Charles Mingus, Patti Smith, and Lou Reed; took intimate portraits of everyone from Liza Minnelli to Alfred Hitchcock; pivoted to start a parallel career in set photography for George Romero, Noah Baumbach and Wes Anderson; and pursued powerful and controversial assignments across the U.S. and the world. Throughout his career, he has never stopped amassing an extraordinary chronicle of his beloved New York City in all its grit and glory. Hamilton’s story and vast archive offer a singular window into the heyday of alternative print media, as well as an inside look at the deeply collaborative craft of filmmaking. The film features conversations with Wes Anderson, Joe Conason, Alexandra Jacobs, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and many more.
Q&A with the Filmmakers
A Q&A with Director D.W. Young and locally-based Composer David Ullmann, moderated by Filmmaker and Crandell Board Member Mirissa Neff, will directly follow the 7 pm screening.
“As you watch Uncropped, an addictive look at the life and work of the magazine and newspaper photographer James Hamilton, you may think: He’s the greatest New York photographer of them all.” — Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“Hamilton’s eye for composition is unparalleled. It’s an immense body of work that never stops being interesting to look at. But what makes Uncropped so great — and so memorable — is the way a chronicle of New York City’s art and media scenes from the 1960s forward emerges from the conversations.” — Alissa Wilkinson, The New York Times
D.W. Young
James Hamilton, Wes Anderson, Thurston Moore
United States