William Eggleston in the Real World

In 1976, William Eggleston became the first artist to have a solo show of color photography at the Museum of Modern Art, and he continues to exert a profound influence on his field. This gentle documentary snaps a revealing and personal portrait of one of America's most sincerely powerful creative spirits. Intimate and companionable, William Eggleston in the Real World offers an inside look at the life and career of this enigmatic figure. Eggleston's work is known for bringing a bold but nuanced use of color to sometimes surreally ordinary images of the American South. Filmmaker Almereyda spends time with the photographer in his native Memphis and goes on the road with him, including a trip to Kentucky for a project commissioned by Gus Van Sant. The normally uncommunicative photographer gradually reveals pieces of himself in unexpected encounters. (85 mins.)

Images © copyright Eggleston Artistic Trust, courtesy of Cheim and Read, New York.