Elia Kazan Outsider

“I was an outsider,” recalls director Elia Kazan (1909-2003), speaking about how the color of his skin, his Greek origins, and Jewish roots complicated his assimilation into American society. Born in Istanbul when it was still Constantinople, the artist became a household name for the 20 plus films he made, including the postwar drama Baby Doll (1956) and the autobiographical America, America (1963). On top of the two Academy Awards he won for directing – for Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) and On the Waterfront (1954) – he received an Oscar in 1999 for his life’s work, but the award was not without controversy in light of his cooperation with the House Un-American Activities Committee in the early 1950s. This portrait of a film legend, who capped off his directing career with the retro-drama The Last Tycoon (1976), was shot by Annie Tresgot in 1982. The interview with Elia Kazan by film critic and historian Michel Ciment is rounded out with clips from the director’s films. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)