Su Friedrich facts for kids

Su Friedrich (born December 12, 1954) is an American avant-garde film director. She is also a producer, writer, and cinematographer. She has been a key person in avant-garde filmmaking. She also helped start what is known as Queer Cinema, which explores different kinds of relationships and people's lives.

Early Life and Education

Su Friedrich was born in 1954 in New Haven, Connecticut. Her mother was from Germany. Her father, Paul Friedrich, was working there as a soldier.

Su Friedrich studied at the University of Chicago from 1971 to 1972. She then went to Oberlin College from 1972 to 1975. There, she earned a degree in Art and Art History.

Today, she lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. She is a Professor at Princeton University. She has taught film and video production there since 1998. Her first film, Hot Water, was made in 1978. Since then, she has made many films and videos.

Exploring Film and Storytelling

Friedrich's films often mix different styles. She combines storytelling, real-life events, and experimental art. Her movies often look at the lives of women and families. They also explore different kinds of relationships in America.

Since the late 1970s, Friedrich has been a leader in avant-garde film. This type of film tries new and unusual ways of telling stories. Her work has changed how films are made and what they are about. She brings a fresh view to her movies. She also combines experimental, storytelling, and documentary styles in new ways.

Friedrich's films move between personal stories and bigger ideas about society. Some films are about her own family. Others look into how society sees different people. She uses many tools in her films. These include home videos, old film clips, interviews, and written stories.

Awards and Recognition

Su Friedrich has won many important awards. She received the Cal Arts Alpert Award in the Arts. She also got fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation and John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. She has also received many grants to help her make films.

Her films are shown in the US, Canada, and Europe. Major art places have shown her work. These include the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Rotterdam International Film Festival. Her films are also part of collections at famous museums. These include the Museum of Modern Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Archive keeps her original film materials safe.

Friedrich's films have won many honors.

• For The Odds of Recovery, she won Best Documentary.
• Hide and Seek won Best Narrative Film and other awards.
• Sink or Swim received the Grand Prix at the Melbourne International Film Festival. It also won the Golden Gate Award.
• Damned If You Don't won Best Experimental Film awards.
• Cool Hands, Warm Heart received a Special Merit Award.
• In 2000, Friedrich also won the Peter S. Reed Lifetime Achievement Award. This award celebrates her long career.

Her films have been reviewed in many publications. These include Variety, The New York Times, and Film Comment. Her work has also been discussed in many books about film.

Filmography

About Gently Down the Stream

This short film uses text and images. It shows fourteen dreams from Friedrich's journals over eight years. Images of the Virgin Mary and Christ appear. There are also scenes of a woman exercising or swimming. Words appear one by one. This draws the audience into Friedrich's thoughts as she explores her dreams.

About The Ties That Bind

The Ties That Bind is a documentary about Friedrich's mother. Her mother was born in Ulm, Germany. She grew up during a difficult time in Germany's history. The film tells her personal story through an interview. She talks about her life during the war and when it ended. Friedrich shows various images with her mother's voice. These include Friedrich's trip to Germany and family videos. The film shows the connections between the past and present. It also shows the bond between a mother and daughter.

About Sink or Swim

Sink or Swim tells twenty-six short stories. These stories describe childhood events. They shaped a girl's ideas about her father and family. As the stories unfold, we see two pictures. One is of a father who cared more about his job than his family. The other is of a daughter deeply affected by his actions. Beautiful black and white images are shown with the powerful text. They show both special and everyday moments.

In 2015, the United States Library of Congress chose Sink or Swim for the National Film Registry. They found it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." This means it is an important film for future generations.

About Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek looks at growing up in the 1960s. Lou is a 12-year-old girl. She daydreams in a tree house. She tries to avoid watching a health class film. She wins a rock throwing contest. She is surprised when her best friend starts liking earrings and boys. The film also includes funny and sometimes sad memories from adults. They talk about how they grew up. Old science and educational film clips are mixed with Lou's black and white world.

About From the Ground Up

Friedrich often uses personal stories to share strong beliefs. In her movie From the Ground Up, she follows the journey of coffee. She wanted to understand how a cup of coffee could cost so little. The film starts with farmers in Guatemala. It follows the coffee bean from the exporter to the importer. Then it goes to the roaster. Finally, it ends up in a coffee cart in New York. Friedrich shows how complex the coffee industry is. She also shows the hard work needed to get coffee from a plant to your cup. While making the film, Friedrich became a supporter of the fair trade coffee movement. This movement helps farmers get a fair price for their coffee.

About Gut Renovation

This documentary is about gentrification in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Gentrification is when a neighborhood changes. New, often more expensive, businesses and homes move in. This can cause long-time businesses and residents to be forced out.

See also

• List of female film and television directors
• List of lesbian filmmakers
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women
• Women's cinema