There's a little week long retrospective at MoMA (thru Sat 11th) of Manfred Kirchheimer's films. At first glance he may not seem that groundbreaking in documentary style. But the more you see the more you realize just how un-ordinary and un-formulaic is his work. He become moderately well known for documenting NY's subway graffiti artists. His eye roved widely, though.  An elegiac doc on architect Louis Sullivan. Finally, the world premiere of his score and cinematography for Leo Hurwitz's Discovery of a Painting- you will want to visit Cezanne's Still Life with Apples again or for anew. And his latest doc Canners on those folk who dig through the plastic bags on NY streets and cash in the recyclables. We all wish we'd made that. But it probably took the unprepossessing aging Manny to make it work and get his interviewees trust.

It could be argued that Mr Kirchheimer’s soundtracks are now OTT- classic ‘romantic’ seductive documentary soundtrack. Yet therein lies the charm and the curiosity, that his work is both old-fashioned and yet newly so. It has no agenda, no manipulation beyond one’s excitement in imagery. No interest beyond the question. An irrelevant answer. Perhaps no future. The non-linear can oft times seem ordinarily strangely so. 

In a parallel world exists Mike Figgis’ film Liebestraum (1991). If t’was a noir architecture film fest this would be the highlight (in very fine historic company). We all wish we'd made that film. We will all be there. Once upon again.