Maya Deren

Inventive and avant-garde, Maya Deren was born in 1917 in Kiev, Ukraine, and was active in the film industry from the 1940s until her untimely death in 1961. Known primarily for her work in experimental and documentary film genres, Deren's most well-remembered contributions include "Meshes of the Afternoon" and "At Land," both of which are considered seminal works in the American avant-garde cinema. Although she never won any major festival awards, her unique authorial style and innovative approach to cinematography, involving rhythmic editing, unusual camera angles, and a focus on the psychological over the narrative, earned her the title "mother of underground film."

Maya Deren, with her fierce intellect and relentless imagination, forever altered the landscape of experimental cinema, challenging perceptions and pushing boundaries at every turn.