Peggy Lawson

This is a rather remarkable documentary made by left-wing filmmaker Leo Hurwitz and his wife, Peggy Lawson. This copy was made available on the Eastman Museum website.

Here’s how Hurwitz’s official website describes the film:
The result of a commission from Film Polski, the Polish Film Production Agency, to make a film on the concentration camps, The Museum and the Fury was made with access to the Film Polski archive, out of which Hurwitz integrated wartime footage with images of the reconstruction of Poland and various works of art.Read More »

The late filmmaker Leo Hurwitz created this documentary tribute to his deceased wife Peggy Lawson by mixing both actual footage of historical events, clips from his own films, and personal remembrances of her life. Lawson was a partner in Hurwitz’s cinematic endeavors and shared his commitment to political and social change. Hurwitz brings up images from the Great Depression, from the persecution of union organizers and laborers in the 1930s, through his blacklisting in the ’50s, and the demonstrations against the Vietnam War in the following decade. These years of turbulence are contrasted with scenes from nature, images of Lawson, and attempts to convey what she meant to him. These two aspects — private and public — are woven together to form the main theme of this very personal documentary, winner of an International Film Critics prize. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie GuideRead More »