Alison Maclean facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alison Maclean
Alison McLean 2015
Born	(1958-07-31) July 31, 1958 (age 66) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Film director
Years active	1989-present

Alison Maclean (born July 31, 1958) is a talented film director from Canada and New Zealand. She has directed many different types of projects. These include music videos, short films, TV shows, commercials, and full-length movies.

Some of her well-known works are the music video for "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia (1997) and the short film Kitchen Sink (1989). She also directed the feature films Jesus' Son (1999) and Crush (1992). Alison Maclean has won several awards for her films. She often explores ideas about how people communicate and how power works in her stories.

Early Life and Education

Alison Maclean was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Her parents were originally from New Zealand. In 1972, when she was a teenager, she moved to New Zealand with her family.

She later studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland. In 1982, she earned a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree, focusing on sculpture.

Exploring Alison Maclean's Career

Alison Maclean started her directing journey with short films. Her first short film, Taunt, was made in 1982. She then directed Rud’s Wife in 1985.

In 1987, she directed Talkback. This short film looked at how people communicate. Her film Kitchen Sink was shown at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival in 1989. It went on to win eight international awards. That same year, Maclean moved to Sydney, Australia.

Directing Feature Films

After moving to New York in 1992, Alison Maclean directed her first full-length movie, Crush. This exciting film focused on relationships and feelings between women. It was also shown at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. The movie is set in Rotorua, New Zealand. Maclean used the setting and camera work to create a feeling of suspense.

Crush stars Marcia Gay Harden. The film has been discussed a lot, especially in film studies. People have talked about how the film shows female characters and their interactions. It explores themes that were new and different for movies at the time.

After Crush, Maclean worked on several projects. This included another short film called Positive (1993). In 1999, she directed her second feature film, Jesus' Son. This movie also received a lot of positive attention and awards. It was especially recognized at the Venice Film Festival in 2000.

More recently, Maclean directed The Rehearsal (2016). This movie is based on a novel by New Zealand author Eleanor Catton. The story follows a student named Stanley at an acting college in Auckland. The film explores questions about privacy, love, and emotions. It also looks at how drama and theatre can help us understand real life.

Influences and Collaborations

Alison Maclean has shared that she gets ideas from other female filmmakers. Some of these include Maya Deren and New Zealand director Jane Campion. Film experts have grouped Maclean with these directors. They note how these filmmakers explore important topics in their movies.

After the success of her 1989 short film, Kitchen Sink, Maclean caught the attention of Touchstone Pictures. Later, she joined Park Pictures in New York. This happened after her success with Crush in 1999. Even though she was busy with Jesus’ Son at the time, Park Pictures saw her unique style. They valued her clear vision and storytelling abilities.

Alison Maclean also directed a movie adaptation for Scenarios USA. This film was based on a winning script from a contest for young people in New York. The script was written by Tiara Bennett.

Filmography