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Director
Stan Brakhage
Defining Films
Profile
Stan Brakhage was an American experimental filmmaker who pioneered abstract cinema through his rejection of narrative and conventional editing techniques. His prolific career produced over 300 films, including landmark works such as *Mothlight* (1963), created by pressing moth wings directly onto film stock, and *Dog Star Man* (1964), a visually complex meditation on perception and nature. Brakhage developed a distinctive visual language based on rapid cutting, hand-painted imagery, and rhythmic montage that prioritized the viewer's experience of pure cinema over storytelling. His influential body of work fundamentally shaped the development of avant-garde filmmaking and expanded possibilities for what cinema could express.
Filmography (335)
Eyes
Eyes
Dog Star Man: Part IV
Mothlight
Water for Maya
Stan’s Window
Stan’s Window
Chinese Series
Work in Progress
Coupling
Dark Night of the Soul
Ascension
Lovesong 5
Lovesong 4
Lovesong 3
Baby Jesus
Jesus Wept
Jesus Wept
Rounds
Lovesong
Lovesong 2
In Jesus Name
Micro-Garden
Occam’s Thread
Persian Series #13
Persian Series #13
Persian Series #14
Persian Series #14
Persian Series #15
Persian Series #15
Persian Series #16
Persian Series #17
Persian Series #17
Persian Series #18
Persian Series #18
Christ on Cross
Christ on Cross
The God of Day Had Gone Down Upon Him
Persian Series #6
Water for Maya
Persian Series #8
Persian Series #8
Persian Series #9
Persian Series #9
Persian Series #10
Persian Series #11
Dance
Persian Series #7
Persian Series #7
Cloud Chamber
Stately Mansions Did Decree
Stately Mansions Did Decree
Seasons…
The Birds of Paradise
The Dark Tower
Alternating Currents
Alternating Currents
…Reel Five
Persian Series #5
Persian Series #4
Persian Series #3
Persian Series #2
Worm and Web Love
Coupling
Cricket Requiem
Persian Series #1
The Earthsong of the Cricket
Moilsome Toilsome
The Lion and the Zebra Make God’s Raw Jewels
…Reel Three
Female Mystique and Spare Leaves
…Reel Two
…Reel One
…Reel Four
Commingled Containers
Commingled Containers
Yggdrasill: Whose Roots Are Stars in the Human Mind
Self Song/Death Song
Divertimento
The Cat of the Worm’s Green Realm
Prelude 21
Prelude 22
Prelude 23
Prelude 24
Prelude 3
Prelude 4
Two Found Objects of Charles Boultenhouse
Prelude 5
Prelude 6
The Fur of Home
Prelude 7
Prelude 8
Prelude 11
Prelude 10
Blue Value
Prelude 1
Polite Madness
Prelude 15
Prelude 13
Beautiful Funerals
Prelude 14
Prelude 9
Prelude 12
Prelude 12
Prelude 16
Sexual Saga
Concrescence
Prelude 17
Prelude 18
Shockingly Hot
Prelude 19
Prelude 2
Prelude 20
I . . .
I . . .
We Hold These
Earthen Aerie
In Consideration of Pompeii
I Take These Truths
Elementary Phases
Elementary Phases
Paranoia Corridore
Paranoia Corridore
Cannot Not Exist
Cannot Exist
First Hymn to the Night–Novalis
Chartres Series
The Mammals of Victoria
Black Ice
Naughts
Ephemeral Solidity
Autumnal
Three Homerics
Study in Color and Black and White
Tryst Haunt
Stellar
Blossom: Gift/Favor
The Harrowing
Boulder Blues and Pearls and . . .
Crack Glass Eulogy
Untitled (For Marilyn)
Untitled (For Marilyn)
A Child’s Garden and the Serious Sea
Agnus Dei Kinder Synapse
Vision of the Fire Tree
Delicacies of Molton Horror Synapse
Delicacies of Molton Horror Synapse
Christ Mass Sex Dance
Babylon Series #3
City Streaming
Visions in Meditation #3: Plato’s Cave
Glaze of Cathexis
Babylon Series #2
Visions in Meditation #4: D.H. Lawrence
The Thatch of Night
Passage Through: A Ritual
Babylon Series #1
Visions in Meditation #2: Mesa Verde
Faust 4
Faust 4
Loud Visual Noises
Faust’s Other: An Idyll
Visions in Meditation #1
I . . . Dreaming
Matins
Marilyn’s Window
Faust 3: Candida Albacore
Rage Net
Faustfilm: An Opera: Part 1
Faustfilm: An Opera: Part 1
Kindering
The Dante Quartet
Confession
Confession
Night Music
Caswallon Trilogy
Caswallon Trilogy
The Loom
Fireloop
Jane
Jane
Tortured Dust
Tortured Dust (Part I-IV)
Tortured Dust (Part I-IV)
Egyptian Series
Hell Spit Flexion
Arabic 12
Eye Myth
The Garden of Earthly Delights
Nodes
Unconscious London Strata
Arabic 9
Arabic 8
Arabic 7
Arabic 6
Arabic 5
Arabic 4
Arabic 19
Arabic 18
Arabic 17
Arabic 16
Arabic 15
Arabic 14
Arabic 13
Arabic 11
Arabic 0+10
RR
RR
Aftermath
Aftermath
Roman Numeral Series : IX
Roman Numeral Series : IX
Roman Numeral Series: III
Roman Numeral Series: III
Roman Numeral Series : VI
Roman Numeral Series : VI
Arabic 1
Roman Numeral Series: V
Roman Numeral Series: V
Roman Numeral Series: IV
Roman Numeral Series: IV
Arabic 2
Roman Numeral Series: VIII
Roman Numeral Series: VIII
Roman Numeral Series: VII
Roman Numeral Series: VII
Duplicity III
Salome
Salome
Murder Psalm
Other
Other
Arabic 3
Made Manifest
Roman Numeral Series : I
Roman Numeral Series : I
Roman Numeral Series: II
Roman Numeral Series: II
@ () 6 min 16mm
@ () 6 min 16mm
Creation
Nightmare Series
Sluice
Sincerity III
Purity and After
Centre
Burial Path
Thot Fal’n
Bird
Bird
Duplicity
Duplicity II
The Governor
The Governor
The Domain of the Moment
Soldiers and Other Cosmic Objects
The Dream, NYC, The Return, The Flower
Gadflies
Gadflies
Desert
Desert
Airs
Trio
Trio
Highs
Absence
Tragoedia
Rembrandt, Etc. and Jane
Window
Short Films:
Sincerity II
Short Films #1-10
Short Films #1-10
Dominion
Aquarien
Clancy
Flight
Flight
“He Was Born, He Suffered, He Died”
Hymn to Her
Skein
Sol
Star Garden
The Stars Are Beautiful
The Text of Light
Gift
Sincerity I
The Women
Sexual Meditation: Office Suite
Sexual Meditation: Hotel
The Wold Shadow
The Presence
The Process
The Riddle of Lumen
The Shores of Phos: A Fable
Sexual Meditation: Open Field
Eye Myth
Sexual Meditation: Faun’s Room Yale
Fox Fire Child Watch
Deus Ex
Deus Ex
The Peaceable Kingdom
The Act of Seeing With One’s Own Eyes
Sexual Meditation: Room with View
The Trip to Door
Door
Door
Western History
Angels
Angels
The Weir-Falcon Saga
The Machine of Eden
Sexual Meditation No. 1: Motel
Sexual Meditation No. 1: Motel
The Animals of Eden and After
Scenes from Under Childhood Section No.4
Scenes from Under Childhood Section No.4
Scenes from Under Childhood Section No.2
Scenes from Under Childhood Section No.2
American 30’s Song
Song XXIX
Song XXIX
Song XXVII (Part II) Rivers
Song XXVII (Part II) Rivers
Window Suite of Children’s Songs
Scenes from Under Childhood Section No.3
Scenes from Under Childhood Section No.3
Song XXVIII
Song XXVIII
The Horseman, the Woman, and the Moth
Lovemaking
My Mountain Song 27
23rd Psalm Branch: Part II and Coda
Scenes from Under Childhood Section No.1
Scenes from Under Childhood Section No.1
Song XXVI
Song XXVI
Songs XXIV & XXV
Songs XXIV & XXV
XV Song Traits (-86) 47 min 16mm
XV Song Traits (-86) 47 min 16mm
Songs XXI & XXII
Songs XXI & XXII
23rd Psalm Branch: Part I (/78) 30 min 16mm
23rd Psalm Branch: Part I (/78) 30 min 16mm
Two: Creeley/McClure
Songs IX & X
Songs IX & X
Songs XIX & XX
Songs XIX & XX
Songs XVII & XVIII
Songs XVII & XVIII
Song XI
Song XI
Song XII
Song XII
Song XIII
Song XIII
Song XIV
Song XIV
Song XVI
Song XVI
The Art of Vision (derived from Dog Star Man
The Art of Vision (derived from Dog Star Man
Pasht
Three Films: Blue White, Blood’s Tone, Vein
Fire of Waters
Black Vision
Songs II & III
Songs II & III
Song V
Song V
Song IV
Song IV
Song VIII
Song VIII
Songs VI & VII
Songs VI & VII
Dog Star Man: Part III
Song I
Song I
“Meat Jewel” (incorporated into Dog Star Man: Part II
“Meat Jewel” (incorporated into Dog Star Man: Part II
Oh Life–A Woe Story–The A Test News
Dog Star Man: Part II
Blue Moses
Silent Sound Sense Stars Subotnick and Sender
Silent Sound Sense Stars Subotnick and Sender
Dog Star Man: Part I
Thigh, Line, Lyre, Triangular
Dog Star Man: Prelude
The Dead
The Dead
Window, Water, Baby, Moving
Cat’s Cradle
Sirius Remembered
Wedlock House: An Intercourse
Anticipation of the Night
Loving
Loving
Daybreak and Whiteye
Nightcats
Flesh of Morning (/) 25 min 16mm
Flesh of Morning (/) 25 min 16mm
Zone Moment
In Between
“Tower House” (photographed for Joseph Cornell under working titles Bolts of Melody and Portrait of Julie ; finally became Cornell’s Centuries of June , -196?) 11 min 16mm
“Tower House” (photographed for Joseph Cornell under working titles Bolts of Melody and Portrait of Julie ; finally became Cornell’s Centuries of June , -196?) 11 min 16mm
Reflections on Black
Reflections on Black
Untitled Film of Geoffery Holder’s Wedding
Untitled Film of Geoffery Holder’s Wedding
Wonder Ring
Gnir Rednow (-196?) 6 min 16mm (made with Joseph Cornell
Gnir Rednow (-196?) 6 min 16mm (made with Joseph Cornell
The Extraordinary Child
Desistfilm
The Way to Shadow Garden
The Way to Shadow Garden
The Boy and the Sea
Unglassed Windows Cast a Terrible Reflection
Interim
#3 1:45min 16mm
#3 1:45min 16mm
#8 2.5 min 16mm
#8 2.5 min 16mm