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Portrait of Jason

Directed by Shirley Clarke1967USA105 mins

On December 2, 1966, director Shirley Clarke and a miniscule film crew gathered in her apartment at the Hotel Chelsea. Bestowed for twelve hours with the one-and-only Jason Holliday, Clarke confronted the iconic performer about his good times and bad behavior as a gay hustler, on-and-off houseboy and aspiring cabaret performer.

As the cameras rolled and Holliday spun tales, sang songs and donned costumes through the night, a mesmerizing portrait formed of a remarkable man. Ingmar Bergman called it “the most extraordinary film I’ve seen in my life,” but audiences may know it better as Portrait of Jason, a funny, stinging and painful meditation on pride and prejudice through the eyes of a legendary figure.

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Director
Shirley Clarke
Year
1967
Country
USA
Running Time
105 mins
Language
English
Program Note Writer
Kino Lorber