Scott Macaulay

(Cc: @columbiauniversity.bsky.social)

In the last decade I saw him actually perform twice. The first was his very good, Kabuki-inflected adaptation of Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape." And the second was him solo performing John Cage's "Lecture on Nothingness," at an Issue Project Room benefit. Also extraordinary. R.I.P. Robert Wilson!

One of my top films of all time is Charles Laughton's "Night of the Hunter," and I have always felt Wilson must have seen it, especially the split diopter shots of the frogs with the little boat traveling up the river in the background, spirituals sung on the soundtrack.

Robin and I liked the Howard Brookner documentary about him and this troubled production, "Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars." One utterance of Wilson's from that doc Robin and I would repeat whenever we were in a moment where we needed help of some kind: "Call Madame Pompidou!"

This was during the aftermath of his "CIVIL warS," which nearly bankrupt him. He had taken every commission he could to dig his way out. I couldn't imagine having my life planned out like that so many years ahead. He was often onto the next city before a work's premiere!

Years later I saw w/ Wilson at The Kitchen, when I was programming director. He wanted to bring a revival of "Hamletmachine" to us, and we tossed out possible dates. He had a paper calendar, and as he flipped through its pages, every week was booked w/ a new opera commission at some Euro city.

Robert Wilson, Provocative Playwright and Director, Is Dead at 83

A sad one! R.I.P. Robert Wilson. "Einstein on the Beach" was a canonical work for me as a teenager, long before I saw the piece at its first BAM revival. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/t...

A smart and nuanced piece.

So sorry! I got it but will confess to not knowing the word.

LITTLE, BIG, AND FAR—Jem Cohens most recent film is playing at the IFC in Manhattan all week. It is spectacular if you or anyone you know is in the city don’t miss this!

Great Q&A last night at @ifccenter.bsky.social with Jane Schoenbrun and Jen Cohen. Cohen’s “Little, Big and Far,” an @nytimes.com Critics Pick, runs all week.

Thank you, I’m glad you are digging it! All credit goes to Amalia, who also shoots the amazing photographs.

Moments of Flight: Lili Taylor and Amalia Ulman Go Birding - Filmmaker Magazine Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources.

Over at Filmmaker we've been running a series by Amalia Ulman on directors and actors's relationship to the animal world. Here's the delightful latest, in which Amalia goes birding in Central Park with Lili Taylor. filmmakermagazine.com/130978-inter...

‘Little, Big, and Far’ Review: Dwelling in the Cosmos

“… feels spiritually nourishing in a way few films can manage.” Just a fantastic review by Alyssa Wilkinson for Jem Cohen‘s “Little, Big and Far,” which opens this Friday at the @ifccenter.bsky.social. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/m...

YouTube video by Grasshopper Film Little, Big, and Far | Official Trailer

Really proud to be an executive producer of Jem Cohen's new "Little, Big and Far," which opens Friday at @ifccenter.bsky.social. Please come out and also check out the trailer below.

"Mourning" is a strong word! But I very much appreciate it. And, it's funny, so many people are using some form of "public service" to describe what I've been doing, which is nice. Hope you and Lynne are well and to see you before too long.

Interesting article. At Filmmaker Magazine, this is something we are debating, whether to destructively scan our issues in order to get them fully digitized going back to the beginning. Some of the early issues there are not many — if any — copies left.

You know, this is the way. We were so taken aback I think, shamed by this act, that it happened in such a way. Like, who would have thought of that? The world truly changed after that. I really was so swept away by Mohsin Hamid’s book, because it's very complex the territory that he goes into, but we all felt it. My son used to take my father-in-law for a walk every day at 5pm. All the doormen just loved seeing this unlikely couple everyday at 5pm. But then they stopped going out because people would point at my father-in-law. He felt like they noticed he was Muslim, noticed he was doing this. So they got scared of taking a walk at 5pm in the most elegant part of New York. This was how it was and that was the least of it. There was much, much worse. So I agree with you, and anyone who loves “The Reluctant Fundamentalist,” because it was also a very difficult film to make. And look, here’s Riz Ahmed now one of the biggest stars ever.

here’s an excerpt from my book CINEMA HER WAY where Mira Nair and I discuss her film THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST and she shared with me this story about her son, Zohran Mamdani, experiencing Islamophobia post-9/11 while walking with his grandfather in Manhattan.

A Democratic Socialist Smashes Wall Street in New York: What Zohran Mamdani Means for the Anti-Monopoly Movement A New York City mayoral election is a watershed for populism, as winner Zohran Mamdani campaigned on a platform of bringing down costs. He even did an event with antitrust enforcer Lina Khan.

Via @matthewstoller.bsky.social

YouTube video by Vibracobra23 Eno & The Winkies - Peel Session 1974

How come I've never heard this Peel Session of Eno and Winkies? Amazing version of "I'll Come Running" that is not on the tracklist. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D1j...

YouTube video by Videowave Diamanda Galas - short interview clip in mid 80s by Videowave

"Alot of times I like em to just shut up and listen to the music..." Diamanda Galas interviewed in the '80s. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBq4...

Clinton, Clyburn, Summers, Palantir, Bloomberg, NYT, Wall St, AIPAC...all tried their best.

The entire establishment went full racist and Islamophobic in the end.

Still Mamdani won.

Biggest F U to the Democratic Establishment and 1% since AOC win.

Wow.

Major decision out of the Northern District of California. AI training on copyrighted material is fair use under the copyright act. This will have major implications for the AI industry and artists having their work stolen by AI companies.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Free Webinar: CRISIS/OPPORTUNITY: Four New Innovative Distributors Rethinking the Indie Model - Filmmaker Magazine Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources.

Free Indie Distribution Webinar: Join me, @jonreiss.bsky.social, @muscledistribution.bsky.social, Willa, @watermelonpictures.bsky.social and Cartuna x Dweck to learn how these companies are approaching the current indie distro scene. Capped at 500, mostly full so sign up now.

Filmmaker Magazine presents, please come out on Monday night!

Thank you, Laura, it was great to see you the other night. And yes, I really appreciated working with you too all those years ago.

Thank you!

And back at you, was such a pleasure to work with you this past fall.

Thank you, Amy!

Thank you, Hope!