A true hero of DIY cinema, Jem Cohen has been pursuing his own brand of defiantly independent artistry for more than four decades across films of many shapes and sizes, including city symphonies, collaborations with musicians, artist portraits, and semiscripted features. A poetic chronicler of urban landscapes and artists who share his outsider spirit, Cohen captures people and places in many formats, from the dreamy textures of Super 8, 16 mm, and lo-fi video to 4K digital. Whether training his uniquely off-kilter gaze on legendary underground musicians (BENJAMIN SMOKE, INSTRUMENT, LUCKY THREE) or the modern cityscapes that shape our lives (CHAIN, MUSEUM HOURS), Cohen opens our eyes to new ways of experiencing the world around us.
Up Next in Directed by Jem Cohen
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Instrument
Directed by Jem Cohen • 1999 • United States
Starring FugaziFilmed over the course of more than ten years, from 1987 to 1998, INSTRUMENT is director Jem Cohen’s visceral, fittingly unconventional portrait of legendary DC punk band Fugazi from their origins through their electrifying prime. Capt...
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Benjamin Smoke
Directed by Jem Cohen and Peter Sillen • 2000 • United States
Far from a standard music documentary, Jem Cohen and Peter Sillen’s loving portrait of underground musician Benjamin Smoke—speed freak, drag queen, and a true outsider artist in every sense of the word—captures his singular personalit...
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Chain
Directed by Jem Cohen • 2004 • United States
Starring Miho Nikaido, Mira Billotte, Minda MartinAs regional character disappears and corporate culture homogenizes our surroundings, it’s increasingly hard to tell where you are. In Jem Cohen’s mesmerizing blend of narrative and documentary observa...
