Peter Bogdanovich Interview: Inside the World of Jonas Mekas

Peter Bogdanovich reflects on his friendship with Jonas Mekas that started in the late 1950’s describing him as a multifaceted personality, who had a supportive and encouraging nature towards artists. Bogdanovich also discusses Mekas's influence on film criticism, noting his revolutionary approach and dedication to preserving films.
Peter Bogdanovich was born on July 30, 1939 in Kingston, NY. His mother and father were from the former Yugoslavia. His father was a painter and praised in his homeland, but he gave it all up to save Peter’s mother and her family because they were Jewish. Peter’s mother was pregnant with him on the boat over to the U.S. Bogdanovich started acting when he was 15 years old. And then studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory. He graduated from New York City’s Collegiate School in 1957. He became the film programmer for MOMA in the early 60s. He would show movies by Orson Wells, John Ford, Howard Hawks, Hitchcock. In the early 60s, Peter became a film critic for Film Culture, Movie, and Esquire. He was interviewing directors at a young age. Peter moved to LA in his 20s. His first major success was The Last Picture Show in 1971 after he made an unsuccessful feature, Targets, in 1968. The Last Picture Show received 8 Academy Award Nominations. He quickly followed with two more hits, What’s Up Doc? (1972) and Paper Moon (1973). In 1971, Bogdanovch directed a documentary about John Ford, which included interviews with John Wayne, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, and narrated by Orson Welles. In the 90s, Bogdanovich hit a lull and stopped directing for several years, at which point he started writing. Peter has now published over ten books. In the early 2000s, he returned to acting with a recurring guest role on the Sopranos, in addition to various other roles.
From the 2022 Documentary FRAGMENTS OF PARADISE about Lithuanian filmmaker, Jonas Mekas. From his arrival in New York as a displaced person in 1949 to his death in 2019, he chronicled the trauma and loss of exile while pioneering institutions to support the growth of independent film in the United States. Internationally known as the “godfather” of avant-garde cinema, he inspired countless independent artists.
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Chapter Markers:
00:00 - Opening
00:09 - Peter Bogdanovich introduction
00:19 - Meeting Jonas Mekas
06:47 - Peter’s film career origins
08:46 - Auteurs in film
10:55 - “Movie Journal” column
11:24 - Jonas’ personality
12:20 - Impact of underground cinema on the mainstream
15:36 - Importance of film preservation
16:49 - Melancholy in Jonas’ films
Peter Bogdanovich, Director & Writer
Interview Date: July 27, 2021
Interviewed By: Katie Davison
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🖤 Jonas & Peter 🖤