Finding Vivian Maier

The documentary 'Finding Vivian Maier' charts the discovery of the mysterious photographer's work and the search for the artist behind them. 

It is a remarkable story. In 2009 the world of photography was stunned to discover that a hitherto unheard of street photographer had, in the space of a year, entered the hall of fame as one of the most spectacular of the twentieth century. Vivian Dorothea Maier (1926-2009), a humble nanny working in Chicago for forty years, had accrued a collection of almost 150,000 photographs of the architecture and street life that composed the cultural fabric of American cities. The documentary Finding Vivian Maier by historian John Maloof and film-maker Charlie Siskel, charts the extraordinary story of this artistic enigma

The discovery and search...

It was not until 2007, when a local historian and collector, John Maloof, discovered the treasure trove that Maier’s work began to be fully appreciated. Maloof had purchased 30,000 prints and negatives from an auction house that, as a result of Maier’s dire financial straights, had come to have them in their possession. Moved by the photographs’ stark authenticity and artistic splendor, Maloof was now a man possessed – desperate to find their source. Maloof unearthed the artist’s name but was unable to locate her before her death. Along with Charlie Siskel, Maloof decided to chronicle his investigation, finding himself led to a myriad of characters with whom Maier had crossed paths: grown-up children she had nannied, older employers and friends she had made during her time in Paris and New York. 

The documentary...

What follows is a patchwork picture of a woman intent on maintaining a fierce aura of mystery. Maloof and Siskel brush with snippets of character, but the picture painted is filled with complexities and contradictions. Never in question though, are the quality of Maier’s photographs. Finding Vivian Maier looks set to be one of the fascinating documentaries of this summer as audiences are offered an insight into the woman who re-wrote the history of twentieth century photography.