Watch Finding Vivian Maier

Finding Vivian Maier is a 2013 documentary film directed by John Maloof and Charlie Siskel. The film chronicles the life and work of Vivian Maier, a reclusive and private nanny, who also happened to be a remarkable street photographer. The film starts with John Maloof, a young amateur historian and professional auction-hunter, acquiring a box of undeveloped film negatives at an auction in Chicago. As he proceeds to develop the images, he realizes the photos are unlike any he had seen before. The pictures were of people, landscapes, and objects captured with a unique perspective and a mysterious aesthetic. Maloof tries to find more information on the person behind the camera but discovers that she is a complete unknown.

Through interviews with her former employers, fellow nannies, and the few people who knew her, Maloof delves into Maier's life as a nanny with an insatiable love for photography. Her life seemed to revolve around capturing the world around her, but she only ever exhibited her work to a few people. The people who did see her photographs were stunned by their beauty, composition, and technical quality.

As Maloof digs deeper, he finds hundreds of thousands of Maier's photographs, negatives, and film reels, all stored in small storage units across the United States. He becomes obsessed with piecing together her life story and her photographic vision. He shares her work online, and there is an almost immediate response to her talent.

As the story unfolds, Maloof discovers a complex, enigmatic individual who kept her true self hidden from prying eyes. He discovers that she was born in 1926, and although she lived in several cities across the United States, she spent much of her life in Chicago, where she ultimately died in 2009. Maier was fiercely independent, instinctively private, and had a difficult time making connections with people in her personal life. However, she had a rare talent for capturing people and places with her camera.

Finding Vivian Maier is not just a story about a woman with a unique photographic talent. It’s a story about the power of art and how it can affect people’s lives. The documentary is a fascinating glimpse into the life and work of a notable artist, who entirely slipped through the cracks of history. Her photographs speak for themselves, and they have the power to capture a moment, a feeling, or a thought.

John Maloof's journey to track down the mysterious photographer and share her work with the world is inspiring. He becomes her protege and advocate, and through the telling of her story, he discovers a kindred spirit.

In conclusion, Finding Vivian Maier is an inspiring and fascinating documentary about one of the most enigmatic figures in street photography. Through interviews, photographs, and archival footage, the film takes the viewer on an emotional journey through Maier's life, piecing together her unique perspective on the world around her. The film shows how the dedication of one person can bring the work of a previously unknown artist to the forefront of public attention and how the artist's work can inspire and enrich the lives of people all over the globe.

Finding Vivian Maier is a 2014 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 23 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.7 and a MetaScore of 75.