A portrait of Meredith Monk

‘Mark Berger’s years of work as a representational painting can be found here, in this film portrait. Mark Berger was an actor in the Meredith Monk company and the House, from 1971 to 1974, and he uses an improvisation technique in this vision of interaction painter/subject, filmmaker/actor, artist/artist. Mark Berger’s camera records and interviews a relationship between himself and Meredith Monk, in the same way that Meredith Monk’s music as soundtrack, is a fundamental and structural aspect of film material editing. The shooting, like the painting of a portrait, was executed in a number of sessions, over a period of several weeks.’ A. Sichel.

Directed by Mark Berger, A portrait of Meredith Monk leans on a strong ensemble — Meredith Monk — 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 screen titles of 1974.