I’ve just returned from a theatrical showing of a new documentary called “The Photographer, His Wife, Her Lover.” Created by Paul Yule, it depicts the odious implosion of O. Winston Link’s marriage to Conchita Mendoza. While the subject depicts a very downbeat ending for one of our greatest artists, I found the film very thought provoking. Like most of us, I’m a long-term fan of Winston’s work and went into the screening carrying the opinion that Winston had been done in by a miscreant gold-digger. But while the case appeared black and white in the newspapers, in the film it becomes as muddy as a cheap print from your Kodak Brownie. This film is actually a follow up to Yule’s earlier film he made on Link, “Trains That Passed In The Night.” That film was a celebration of Link and his life’s work on the N&W. Thus there is a continuity that supports the new film. More importantly, objectivity and truthfulness are the base evaluations of a documentary and Yule appears to display both. You get a chance to be on the jury and you can make up your own mind about the case. It is just so unfortunate that it ever happened.
Where did you see this? Is it currently available on DVD by any chance? Heard about the video/program being in process but didn’t realize it was out yet.
It is playing until 8/10 at the Film Forum in New York City. http://www.filmforum.org/films/photographer.html I do not know of further release plans. I’m sure within a few months it will be avaiiable on DVD, Here is the New Yoirk Times review: http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=348647 You can do a search with the title + reveiw and find a few more.
Checked out the links. Thanks!
This film was shown on British television some time ago (last winter, if I remember correctly). As a long time admirer of Link’s work, I found it most interesting.
Malc.