Sneha Girap (Editor)

Red Shirley

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Director
  
Lou Reed

Music director
  
Metal Machine Trio

Producers
  
Lou Reed, Tom Sarig

Country
  
United States

7.8/10
IMDb

Genre
  
Documentary, Short

Cinematography
  
Ralph Gibson

Duration
  

Language
  
English

Release date
  
April 20, 2010 (2010-04-20) (Visions du Reel Film Festival)

Similar movies
  
Gods House (2011), Fighter (2000), Night Will Fall (2014), The 81st Blow (1974), The Last Days (1998)

Red Shirley is a short documentary film directed by Lou Reed. It tells the story of his cousin, Shirley Novick, living through World War I, fleeing Poland during World War II, and taking part in a 1963 civil rights march. The film was shot by photographer Ralph Gibson, and the soundtrack was recorded by Metal Machine Trio.

Contents

In 2011, Reed said there was a "great impetus" to create the film Red Shirley, given that a lot of information would be lost if he didn't. Its début was at the 2010 Vienna International Film Festival, before appearing in New York at the Jewish Film Festival. The trailer for the documentary featured a collection of photographs and a conversation between Reed and his cousin Novick. Novick's nickname is "Red Shirley", hence the title of the film.

Lou reed s red shirley trailer


Summary

Lou Reed interviews his cousin, Shirley Novick, on the eve of her 100th birthday. Novick recalls growing up in a small village in Poland during World War I; fleeing to the United States by way of Canada during World War II and losing her parents to the Nazis; toiling for 47 years in New York City's garment district, where she became a labor activist; reuniting with her sisters, who had emigrated to Palestine; and taking part in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.

Critical reception

Premiering in Switzerland in 2010, Red Shirley was screened at film festivals around the world, including the 20th annual New York Jewish Film Festival and the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, where it was well received. Sean Michaels of the Guardian described it as an "affectionate and moving portrait." Kurt Brokaw of the Independent magazine called it "a work both endearing and enduring." Dave Robson of Sound on Sight wrote, "These are the sorts of films that future historians will thank us for." The film will be included in the Jewish Museum's film collection.

References

Red Shirley Wikipedia
Red Shirley IMDb