
Filmed by Jonas Mekas from the 44th floor of the Time-Life Building, “Empire” explores the passage of time without the use of characters or a traditional narrative. The film, that consists of one stationary shot of the Empire State Building, was made from standard 1,200-foot rolls of 16mm film with a more than eight-hour runtime.
Directed by Andy Warhol, Empire leans on a strong ensemble — Jonas Mekas, Andy Warhol — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1965.
Read More on the Blog
Loading reviews…
A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.
Get weekly picks and blog posts in your inbox.
Live availability isn't tracked for this title yet — try these popular platforms: