13 LESSONS IN LIFE WITH SAUL LEITER
BY WALL DONE, 26/06/2013
Last Friday I was spending my rather gloomy afternoon in a little park between Taviton Street and Torrington Square, London, UK. Awaiting a friend who was 20 minutes late I started considering alternatives to entertain myself for the rest of the day. Luckily, a moment earlier I've overheard the conversation about a UK premiere of "some movie about famous photographer", screening at Open City Docs Fest. The "famous photographer" turned out to be Saul Leiter and the movie made my day. Lesson learned: sometimes it doesn't hurt to be late.
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In No Great Hurry: 13 LESSONS IN LIFE WITH SAUL LEITER by Tomas Leach (see the trailer here).
From the director's statement:
When I was given Early Color, I couldn’t believe that a photographer with such a unique eye had been hidden away so long. Here was a photographer who had a incredible sense of color and framing that felt fresh today, yet he was doing it in the 50s. What had he been doing all these years? Why wasn't he famous? Was there more of this stunning work?
I went to New York to try and speak with Saul and to see if he would consider making a film. He answered the door to me with the words "why do people always want something from me?". With that, he turned and walked back inside leaving me on the doorstop. I followed him in and he started to interview me. His curiosity, humour and perspective on life were so distinctive that I knew I had to get him to agree to the film.
A year and a half later he sort of said yes.
In the past 3 years I’ve been working with Saul on this film, we have become close. Even though he teases me about my dress sense, or my idiotic questions, he is fond of me I think. Our conversations swing between art, love, history, family, coffee, politics, television, religion, money, photography, human decency and New York itself - Saul can talk about anything. He can be grumpy and surly, but is mainly incredibly kind and thoughtful. Every time we speak I come away with my mind overflowing with thoughts and ideas.
I hope that people who see this film enjoy their time with Saul as much as I have. — Tomas Leach
