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Jonas Mekas Quotes

I brought Yoko Ono to New York and gave her her first job there. I was editing a magazine called ‘Film Culture.’ Picture Quote #1

I’m not so much in the future as always in the present. The future always takes care of itself. What I do now with my video camera, it can only record what is happening now. I am celebrating reality and the essence of the moment. And that’s the greatest challenge that I have Picture Quote #1

I live, therefore I make films. I make film, therefore I live. Life. Movement. I make home movies, therefore I live. I live, therefore I make home movies Picture Quote #1

In narrative cinema, a certain terminology has already been established: ‘film noir,’ ‘Western,’ even ‘Spaghetti Western.’ When we say ‘film noir’ we know what we are talking about. But in non-narrative cinema, we are a little bit lost. So sometimes, the only way to make us understand what we are talking about is to use the term ‘avant-garde.’ Picture Quote #1

I have never been able, really, to figure out where my life begins and where it ends. I have never, never been able to figure it all out, what it’s all about, what it all means Picture Quote #1

I’m working in a form of cinema that can be described, and has been described, as a diaristic form of cinema. In other words, with material from my own life. I walk through life with my camera, and occasionally I film. I never think about scripts, never think about films, making films Picture Quote #1

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We are the measure of all things. And the beauty of our creation, of our art is proportional to the beauty of ourselves of our souls Picture Quote #1

I began writing poetry when I was about 10. Bad poetry, but you start with bad poetry Picture Quote #1

When I came to New York in 1949, there was already an entire fresh avant-garde film movement blooming in New York and California. It was a very, very exciting period! Picture Quote #1

I’m a filmmaker, but my working procedures are different. All my basic structuring is done during the filming. You know, how long I keep the shot, the exposure or the speed - slower or faster, etc. That’s structuring. And then there is a second stage of structuring that comes later when I begin to put those pieces together Picture Quote #1

Once you change the technology - from a film camera to a video camera, or from an 8-mm camera to 16 mm - you change completely the content. With 8 mm, a leaf on a tree will be made up of maybe four grains. So it’s very impressionistic, almost like Seurat. If you switch to 16 mm, the technology gives you hundreds of grains on that leaf Picture Quote #1

I am very active on the Internet. In 2007, I made one film every day and posted it on my website. That was a 365-day project, really exhausting, but I still put a lot of stuff on - from life, friends, my own life Picture Quote #1

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In 1962, we created the Filmmakers’ Co-Op because nobody wanted to distribute our films. If we had the Internet in those days, we wouldn’t have needed the Co-Op Picture Quote #1

I’m not an abstract artist; I leave that to others. To me, abstract art ended with Kazimir Malevich’s ‘Black Square.’ To continue it is senseless Picture Quote #1

Yes, I got my first Bolex camera a few weeks after being dropped in New York by the United Nations Refugee Organization. That was on October 29th, 1949. With my brother Adolfas, we wanted to make a film about displaced persons, how one feels being uprooted from one’s home Picture Quote #1

Place means nothing to me. I can be at home anywhere Picture Quote #1

We need less perfect but more free films Picture Quote #1

Seek the insignificant small but essential qualities, essential to life Picture Quote #1

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For an artist, to be normal is a disaster Picture Quote #1

In the very end, civilizations perish because they listen to their politicians and not to their poets Picture Quote #1

The nature of the video camera really makes you focus on the present. Since I have always been a diarist filmmaker, not one who stages scenes with actors, it has always been about the present moment Picture Quote #1

I’m not so much in the future as always in the present. The future always takes care of itself. What I do now with my video camera, it can only record what is happening now. I am celebrating reality and the essence of the moment. And that’s the greatest challenge that I have Picture Quote #1

I’m working in a form of cinema that can be described, and has been described, as a diaristic form of cinema. In other words, with material from my own life. I walk through life with my camera, and occasionally I film. I never think about scripts, never think about films, making films Picture Quote #1

Some cameras are heavier and need to be on tripods. Others are small enough to hide in your pocket. There are places where you don’t want to feel like you are disturbing anything, so I may use a camera like that Picture Quote #1

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There is no other way to break the frozen cinematic conventions than through a complete derangement of the official cinematic senses Picture Quote #1

In a meadow full of flowers, you cannot walk through and breathe those smells and see all those colors and remain angry. We have to support the beauty, the poetry, of life Picture Quote #1

I always work only with friends, but it must be about them and myself. Because I film only very personal moments, nothing preplanned, staged or written, it has to be real and spontaneous. Some of them have become famous, some are not yet famous, some will never be famous. But they are all my friends Picture Quote #1

My life is essentially not so unique. On some deeper levels we feel the same, we know the same things. Therefore if I show my life 365 days, moments from those days, it will reflect and it will have connection with lives of all of us Picture Quote #1

Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

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Text Quotes

I brought Yoko Ono to New York and gave her her first job there. I was editing a magazine called ‘Film Culture.’ (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I’m not so much in the future as always in the present. The future always takes care of itself. What I do now with my video camera, it can only record what is happening now. I am celebrating reality and the essence of the moment. And that’s the greatest challenge that I have. (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I live, therefore I make films. I make film, therefore I live. Life. Movement. I make home movies, therefore I live. I live, therefore I make home movies. (Jonas Mekas Quotes) In narrative cinema, a certain terminology has already been established: ‘film noir,’ ‘Western,’ even ‘Spaghetti Western.’ When we say ‘film noir’ we know what we are talking about. But in non-narrative cinema, we are a little bit lost. So sometimes, the only way to make us understand what we are talking about is to use the term ‘avant-garde.’ (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I have never been able, really, to figure out where my life begins and where it ends. I have never, never been able to figure it all out, what it’s all about, what it all means. (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I’m working in a form of cinema that can be described, and has been described, as a diaristic form of cinema. In other words, with material from my own life. I walk through life with my camera, and occasionally I film. I never think about scripts, never think about films, making films. (Jonas Mekas Quotes) We are the measure of all things. And the beauty of our creation, of our art is proportional to the beauty of ourselves of our souls. (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I began writing poetry when I was about 10. Bad poetry, but you start with bad poetry. (Jonas Mekas Quotes) When I came to New York in 1949, there was already an entire fresh avant-garde film movement blooming in New York and California. It was a very, very exciting period! (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I’m a filmmaker, but my working procedures are different. All my basic structuring is done during the filming. You know, how long I keep the shot, the exposure or the speed - slower or faster, etc. That’s structuring. And then there is a second stage of structuring that comes later when I begin to put those pieces together (Jonas Mekas Quotes) Once you change the technology - from a film camera to a video camera, or from an 8-mm camera to 16 mm - you change completely the content. With 8 mm, a leaf on a tree will be made up of maybe four grains. So it’s very impressionistic, almost like Seurat. If you switch to 16 mm, the technology gives you hundreds of grains on that leaf (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I am very active on the Internet. In 2007, I made one film every day and posted it on my website. That was a 365-day project, really exhausting, but I still put a lot of stuff on - from life, friends, my own life (Jonas Mekas Quotes) In 1962, we created the Filmmakers’ Co-Op because nobody wanted to distribute our films. If we had the Internet in those days, we wouldn’t have needed the Co-Op (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I’m not an abstract artist; I leave that to others. To me, abstract art ended with Kazimir Malevich’s ‘Black Square.’ To continue it is senseless (Jonas Mekas Quotes) Yes, I got my first Bolex camera a few weeks after being dropped in New York by the United Nations Refugee Organization. That was on October 29th, 1949. With my brother Adolfas, we wanted to make a film about displaced persons, how one feels being uprooted from one’s home (Jonas Mekas Quotes) Place means nothing to me. I can be at home anywhere (Jonas Mekas Quotes) We need less perfect but more free films (Jonas Mekas Quotes) Seek the insignificant small but essential qualities, essential to life (Jonas Mekas Quotes) For an artist, to be normal is a disaster (Jonas Mekas Quotes) In the very end, civilizations perish because they listen to their politicians and not to their poets (Jonas Mekas Quotes) The nature of the video camera really makes you focus on the present. Since I have always been a diarist filmmaker, not one who stages scenes with actors, it has always been about the present moment (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I’m not so much in the future as always in the present. The future always takes care of itself. What I do now with my video camera, it can only record what is happening now. I am celebrating reality and the essence of the moment. And that’s the greatest challenge that I have (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I’m working in a form of cinema that can be described, and has been described, as a diaristic form of cinema. In other words, with material from my own life. I walk through life with my camera, and occasionally I film. I never think about scripts, never think about films, making films (Jonas Mekas Quotes) Some cameras are heavier and need to be on tripods. Others are small enough to hide in your pocket. There are places where you don’t want to feel like you are disturbing anything, so I may use a camera like that (Jonas Mekas Quotes) There is no other way to break the frozen cinematic conventions than through a complete derangement of the official cinematic senses (Jonas Mekas Quotes) In a meadow full of flowers, you cannot walk through and breathe those smells and see all those colors and remain angry. We have to support the beauty, the poetry, of life (Jonas Mekas Quotes) I always work only with friends, but it must be about them and myself. Because I film only very personal moments, nothing preplanned, staged or written, it has to be real and spontaneous. Some of them have become famous, some are not yet famous, some will never be famous. But they are all my friends (Jonas Mekas Quotes) My life is essentially not so unique. On some deeper levels we feel the same, we know the same things. Therefore if I show my life 365 days, moments from those days, it will reflect and it will have connection with lives of all of us (Jonas Mekas Quotes)