Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters

For ten years, Ben Shapiro followed the work of American photographer Gregory Crewdson, observing him in his role as the director of crepuscular image-paintings. Produced mainly in Massachusetts, the pieces involved the creation of genuine movie sets with the support of a specialized team, then subjecting them to a long digital post-production process. By shooting every phase of the project “Beneath the Roses” (2003-2005), and accompanying the artist through his next cycle of work, “Sanctuary” (2009) – set against a backdrop of abandoned movie sets at Cinecitta`, and using black-and-white for the first time – the director offers a fascinating, suggestive view of the mis-en-scene of the artist’s subjects, the complex technical structure of Crewdson’s work and an analysis of their psychological and emotional aspects.