Film About a Father Who
74 min. 2020
Directed by Lynne Sachs
Publicist: Sylvia.Savadjian@gmail.com
*World Premiere: Slamdance Film Festival 2020
Opening Night Film
https://slamdance2020.eventive.org/schedule/5dfd772e5f8abf00dc6dc0bd
Park City, Utah
Documentary Fortnight:
The Museum of Modern Art’s Festival of Non-Fiction Film
https://www.moma.org/calendar/events/6412
New York City
International Premiere:
Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival
https://sheffdocfest.com/films/6949
United Kingdom
Additional Festivals:
Sarasota Film Festival, Vail Film Festival, DocAviv, Doclisboa, Gimli Film Festival, Bend Film Festival, Indie Memphis, Rencontres Internationales de Documentaire Montréal.
Download Press Kit PDF here:
Film About a Father Who Press kit 2020
Film About a Father Who website: www.filmaboutafatherwho.com
Synopsis
Over a period of 35 years between 1984 and 2019, filmmaker Lynne Sachs shot 8 and 16mm film, videotape and digital images of her father, Ira Sachs Sr., a bon vivant and pioneering businessman from Park City, Utah. FILM ABOUT A FATHER WHO is her attempt to understand the web that connects a child to her parent and a sister to her siblings. With a nod to the Cubist renderings of a face, Sachs’ cinematic exploration of her father offers simultaneous, sometimes contradictory, views of one seemingly unknowable man who is publicly the uninhibited center of the frame yet privately ensconced in secrets. In the process, Sachs allows herself and her audience inside to see beyond the surface of the skin, the projected reality. As the startling facts mount, Sachs as a daughter discovers more about her father than she had ever hoped to reveal.
“FILM ABOUT A FATHER WHO is a personal meditation on our dad, specifically, and fatherhood and masculinity more generally. The film is one of Lynne’s most searingly honest works. Very proud of my sister, as I have been since we were kids, and so deeply inspired.” – Filmmaker & brother, Ira Sachs, Jr.
Press Quotes
“Explores the complexities of a disparate family and a nexus of problems revolving around a wayward, unconventional, elusive patriarch…formidable in its candour and ambition.”
-Jonathan Romney, Screen International
“(Sachs’) own practice can be understood as a process of grammatical excellence; each thought, memory, scene, time and space given pause and punctuated by still more dancing light.” In Film About a Father Who, (she) admits that she is filming as a way of finding transparency. It is the ultimate in searching for cinematic veracity. She finds something beautiful and deeply moving, here…. Film About a Father Who is her greatest achievement yet.”
-Tara Judah, Ubiquarian
“This divine masterwork of vulnerability weaves past and present together with ease, daring the audience to choose love over hate, forgiveness over resentment. Sachs lovingly untangles the messy hair of her elusive father, just as she separates and tends to each strand of his life. A remarkable character study made by a filmmaker at the top of her game– an absolute must see in Park City.”
—Michael Gallagher, Slamdance Programmer
“Here we have a family. And most families have fall-outs. And the ruptured and the intense one in Lynne’s film—amazing documentary—reveals how far blood lines can stretch without losing connection altogether. Though this is an extremely personal film, and asks us several times to really choose between love and hate, she’s really exploring a universal theme that we all think about from time to time, which is the extent to which one human being can really know another. And in this case, it’s her dad.“
– Peter Baxter, President and co-founder of Slamdance speaking on KPCW Radio, Park City, Utah
“The film is bookended with footage of Lynne Sachs attempting to cut her aging father’s sandy hair, which — complemented by his signature walrus mustache — is as long and hippie-ish as it was during the man’s still locally infamous party-hearty heyday, when Ira Sachs Sr. restored, renovated and lived in the historic Adams Avenue property that is now home to the Mollie Fontaine Lounge. ‘There’s just one part that’s very tangly,’ Lynne comments, as the simple grooming activity becomes a metaphor for the daughter’s attempt to negotiate the thicket of her father’s romantic entanglements, the branches of her extended family tree and the thorny concepts of personal and social responsibility.”
– John Beiffus, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Photos
Photo collage from Film About A Father Who Lynne Sachs w Ira Sachs in Film About a Father Who Quarry Explosion in Film About a Father Who Ira Sachs Sr. w Painting in Film About a Father Who Film About a Father Who still Lynne Sachs, dir. of Film About a Father Who Ira Sachs, Sr. in Park City Utah. From FILM ABOUT A FATHER WHO (2020) by Lynne Sachs.
Poster

Press
- Direct Link to Slamdance Listing for film
https://slamdance2020.eventive.org/schedule/5dfd772e5f8abf00dc6dc0bd - Screendaily – Dec. 18, 2019
“Slamdance 2020 to open with ‘Film About A Father Who”
https://www.screendaily.com/news/slamdance-2020-to-open-with-film-about-a-father-who/5145762.article - Deadline – Dec. 18, 2019
Slamdance Sets “Film About a Father Who” to Open 2020 Festival
https://deadline.com/2019/12/slamdance-2020-film-about-a-father-who-opening-night-1202812307/ - Salt Lake Tribune – Dec. 18, 2019
Park City Developer Ira Sachs, Sr. will be Profiled in Slamdance’s Opening Film
https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/2019/12/18/park-city-millionaire/ - KPCW Local News Hour with Leslie Thatcher – Park City NPR
Jan. 3, 2020 Live Radio Interview with Lynne Sachs
https://www.kpcw.org/post/local-news-hour-january-3-2020?fbclid=IwAR3IapOdDy-ph-m1AlaGsmzf0qQSJkNboEU1N6EK6opd22RLqG5A6fgN9Po#stream/0 - Variety: Museum of Modern Art’s Doc Fortnight Lineup
Jan. 7, 2020
https://variety.com/2020/film/news/museum-of-modern-arts-doc-fortnight-lineup-includes-crip-camp-some-kind-of-heaven-exclusive-1203457929/ - KPCW – Morning News with Leslie Thatcher, Park City
20 min. Interview w/ Lynne Sachs begins at 20:18 – Jan. 5, 2020
https://www.kpcw.org/post/local-news-hour-january-3-2020#stream/0 - KPCW – Slamdance Opens with Documentary on Park City Denizen (close transcription of radio interview) – Jan. 7., 2020
https://www.kpcw.org/post/slamdance-2020-opens-documentary-park-city-denizen-ira-sachs#stream/0 - “Memphis writer, filmmaker Lynne Sachs returns this week with new book of poetry” by John Beiffus
Memphis Commercial Appeal, Jan. 8, 2020
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/entertainment/arts/2020/01/08/lynn-sachs-memphis-year-by-year-poems/2832335001/ - WBAI 99.5 Radio in NYC & Pacifica Affiliates “Arts Express” (Global Arts Magazine) with Host Prairie Miller – start at 29 min. 22 sec. – Broadcast week of Jan. 13 and is archived here:
https://www.wbai.org/archive/program/episode/?id=9151 - Salt Lake Tribune: “Slamdance Festival’s Opening Film Features A Daughter Exploring Her Father’s Secrets” by Sean P Means, Jan. 19, 2020
https://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/2020/01/19/daughter-explores-her/ - Talkhouse: “In Celebration of the Darkness: What Can Happen When the Lights Go Out” by Lynne Sachs Jan. 22, 2020
https://www.talkhouse.com/in-celebration-of-the-darkness-what-can-happen-when-the-lights-are-out/?fbclid=IwAR05sbxtV_EGibdG6cnOk4xURvaNUYNNFgL6wS-uCjUYiTmHRXih9_yKzh8 - Park Record: “Park City’s Enigmatic Business Man Ira Sachs is Subject of Slamdance Opener” by Scott Iwasaki
https://www.parkrecord.com/entertainment/park-citys-enigmatic-businessman-ira-sachs-is-subject-of-slamdance-opener - Grasshopper Films “Transmissions – “Single Take: Lynne Sachs on Godard” – Jan. 23, 2020
https://grasshopperfilm.com/transmissions-sachs/ - Moveable Fest – “Lynne Sachs on a Subject Feeling Close Enough to Feel Far Away” by Stephen Saito – Jan. 23, 2020
http://moveablefest.com/lynne-sachs-film-about-a-father-who/ - Filmwax: Podcast Interview with Lynne Sachs by Adam Schartoff – Jan. 23, 2020
http://www.filmwaxradio.com/podcasts/episode-595/ - Salt Lake Dirt: Interview with Lynne Sachs by Kyler Bingham – Jan. 24, 2020
https://saltlakedirt.com/f/an-interview-with-filmmaker-lynne-sachs - Filmmaker Magazine: “‘Forgiveness is a Big Part of the Movie’ Director Lynne Sachs on her Slamdance Premiering Doc” by Daniel Egan – Jan. 24, 2020
https://filmmakermagazine.com/108861-forgiveness-is-a-big-part-of-the-movie-director-lynne-sachs-on-her-slamdance-premiering-doc-film-about-a-father-who/#.XitlJxd7kqJ - Unseen Films- Review of Film About a Father Who by Steve Kopian – Jan. 24, 2020
http://www.unseenfilms.net/2020/01/film-about-father-who-2020-slamdance.html - Hammer to Nail Review of Film About a Father Who by Christoper Reed – Jan. 26, 2020
https://www.hammertonail.com/reviews/film-about-a-father-who/ - The Fog of Truth, a podcast about documentaries, Jan. 29, 2020. Podcast “Episode 801: Slamdance 2020” – Chris Reed and Bart Weiss interview Lynne Sachs (Click “episodes” to Listen to the interview)
https://www.fogoftruth.com/current-news/2020/1/29/episode-801-slamdance-2020 - KCPW 88.3FM, The Daily Buzz & Bitch Talk, Jan. 30, 2020. Interview with Lynne Sachs hosted by John Wildman
http://kcpw.org/blog/daily-buzz/2020-01-30/the-daily-buzz-from-sundance-day-4-1-30-20/ - Directed by Women: Interview with Lynne Sachs, Feb. 3, 2020
https://directedbywomen.com/lynne-sachs-exploring-the-making-of-film-about-a-father-who/ - New York Times: “4 Film Series to Catch in New York This Weekend” by Ben Kenigsberg, Feb. 5, 2020.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/movies/nyc-this-weekend-film-series.html - Nina Rothe, Film, Fashion, Life: “This is not a portrait”: Lynne Sachs’ must watch ‘Film About a Father Who’ screens in NYC
https://www.eninarothe.com/movies/2020/1/24/lynne-sachs-film-about-a-father-who - This Week in New York: Review of Film About a Father Who by Mark Rifkin, Feb. 9. 2020
http://twi-ny.com/blog/2020/02/09/doc-fortnight-film-about-a-father-who/ - Go Indie Now: “Slamdance 2020 Bio Docs” Review of Film About a Father Who by Joe Compton, Feb. 10, 2020
https:// goindienow.com/home/slamdance2020_pt1 - Go Indie Now: Interview with Lynne Sachs on “Film About a Father Who”, Feb. 11, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAf0_9aWGHw&feature=youtu.be - Women & Hollywood: “Collaboration Taught Me Different Ways of Making Films and Seeing the World” by Lynne Sachs, Feb. 10, 2020
https://womenandhollywood.com/guest-post-collaborating-taught-me-different-ways-of-making-films-and-seeing-the-world/ - agnès films: Supporting Women & Feminist Filmmakers – Review by Alexandra Hidalgo, Feb. 13, 2020
https://agnesfilms.com/reviews/review-of-lynne-sachs-film-about-a-father-who/?fbclid=IwAR0Q7f5zXkuSGJ6q3F7-FV0hc10Rsasex0Tt8qQguyoIK8TtSF0CjIgK4Y8 - The Pop Break: “Film About a Father Who Review: A Film as Ambiguous as Its Subject”
https://thepopbreak.com/2020/02/14/film-about-a-father-who-review-as-ambiguous-as-its-subject/ - Screen Daily: ‘Film About A Father Who’ – Sheffield Doc/Fest Review, June 15, 2020
https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/film-about-a-father-who-sheffield-doc/fest-review/5150622.article - Il Manifesto: “A Dialogue of Images That Question Our Certainties” – Interview with Lynne Sachs, June 11, 2020
https://ilmanifesto.it/lynne-sachs-dialogo-di-immagini/?fbclid=IwAR22UJ0x7YZSjIpXk-7VWUyNgxl-e-y80MDZFupanICvMgjgV6aASy8TorA - Modern Times Review: «A new relationship to language and listening in cinema»: Lynne Sachs on her Sheffield Doc/Fest Retrospective,” Interview with Lauren Wissot June 17, 2020
https://www.moderntimes.review/lynne-sachs-on-sheffield-doc-fest-retrospective/ - Ubiquarian: “The Process is the Practice: Prolific and poetic, experimental and documentary filmmaker, Lynne Sachs, lights up this year’s online edition of Sheffield Doc|Fest with a mini-retrospective, annotated lecture and her new feature, Film About a Father Who (2020)” by Tara Judah, June 21, 2020
http://ubiquarian.net/2020/06/the-process-is-the-practice/ - Film International: Review of “Film About a Father Who” by David Finkelstein, July 5, 2020. http://filmint.nu/film-scratches-july-2020/
- In Their Own League, Five stars (out of 5) review “Film About a Father Who -Poetic, impactful and moving journeys into unique worlds which are rarely captured on-screen” by Bianca Garner, July 13, 2020. https://intheirownleague.com/2020/07/12/sheffield-doc-fest-exclusive-review-film-about-a-father-who/
- Docs in Orbit: “Master Edition: In Conversation with Lynne Sachs” Podcast Pt. 1 and Pt. 2, August 2020.
- Pt. 1- Lynne Sachs speaks about how feminist film theory has shaped her work and her approach to experimental filmmaking
- Pt. 2 – We discuss her latest feature-length documentary film, Film About a Father Who.https://www.docsinorbit.com/masters-edition-in-conversation-with-lynne-sachs
- DocAviv Documentary Festival of Tel Aviv: From the Outside In: Investigation as a Language in the Films of Lynne Sachs, Two Film Program curated by Dr. Laliv Malemed – Overview, Sept. 2020. https://www.docaviv.co.il/2020-en/lynne-sachs/ ; Film About a Father Who – https://www.docaviv.co.il/2020-en/films/film-about-a-father-who/, States of UnBelonging – https://www.docaviv.co.il/2020-en/films/states-of-unbelonging/
- Ynet: Israel’s most comprehensive, authoritative daily source in English for breaking news and current events, “I Watched Rabin’s Funeral, I Named My Daughter Noa – Interview with Lynne Sachs” by Amir Bogen, Sept. 8, 2020.
https://www.ynet.co.il/entertainment/article/B1TCDpmmP - “The Artful, Experimental and Brilliant Study of a Promiscuous Father Headlining Sheffield Autumn Programme” by Benjamin Hollis, Oct. 2, 2020
- https://documentaryweekly.com/home/2020/10/2/the-artful-experimental-and-brilliant-study-of-a-promiscuous-father-headlining-sheffields-autumn-programme
- Memphis Flyer: “2020 Vision: Indie Memphis Film Festival Moves Outdoors and Online”, Festival Highlights, by Chris McCoy, Oct. 14, 2020.
https://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/2020-vision-indie-memphis-film-festival-moves-outdoors-and-online/Content?oid=23975165 - VODzilla.com: The UK’s First Video on Demand Magazine: “Sheffield Doc/ Fest Film Review: Film About a Father Who”, by Laurence Boyce, Oct. 14, 2020. https://vodzilla.co/reviews/sheffield-doc-fest-film-review-film-about-a-father-who/
- Texte Zur Kunst: “Tactile Translations: Esther Buss on the Sheffield Doc/ Fest Lynne Sachs Film Exhibition”, Berlin, Germany, Oct. 16, 2020.
https://www.textezurkunst.de/articles/esther-buss-taktile-ubersetzungen/
Credits
Featuring Ira Sachs Sr. with Lynne Sachs, Dana Sachs, Ira Sachs, Beth Evans, Evan Sachs, Adam Sachs, Annabelle Sachs, Julia Buchwald, and Madison Geist
Editor – Rebecca Shapass
Music – Stephen Vitiello
Produced with the support of: New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Fellowship, 2018 and Yaddo Artist Residency, 2019