Two years after the passing of photographer Robert Frank, artist June Leaf returns to Nova Scotia to explore the special relationship they had to their adopted Canadian home of fifty years.
SYNOPSIS
In 2021, 92-year-old artist June Leaf invited friends and neighbors from rural Nova Scotia to come sit in her kitchen and remember her late husband, the photographer and filmmaker Robert Frank. Over the course of this informal wake, we learn the extent to which the couple's artwork was fueled by their adopted home of 50 years, the ways their presence as artists inspired the community around them, and most importantly how storytelling helps to process grief as June continues on with her own artistic journey.
Director Statement
In 2021, artist June Leaf invited us to visit her in Nova Scotia to help her make a memorial film about her late husband, the photographer and artist Robert Frank. He had passed away there in 2019, and the pandemic had prevented her from holding an in-person memorial for him in New York. She hoped that the video would allow her to share reflections on Robert’s private life in Cape Breton.
“He has a house of souvenirs, and I want to share it with everyone.”
We have been friends with Robert and June for over a decade, and were very touched by June’s invitation. We spent ten weeks living with her, filming conversations with friends and neighbors. We observed the two-year anniversary of Robert’s passing, and explored the landscape that inspired them for fifty years. We witnessed June’s strength and determination as she processed her grief while continuing to work daily in her studio.
When reviewing the footage, we realized that we had enough to create an intimate portrait of Robert and June and their adopted home. With June’s blessing, we began cutting together a feature-length documentary about their lives together in Canada.
We searched through Robert and June’s archives for works that illuminated neighbors’ stories, and incorporated previously unreleased material that June found during our stay.
We are incredibly proud of this affectionate portrait of two commanding presences in modern art, and appreciate your support in bringing it to share with an audience.
Supporter Statement
"This film is a blessing to life and art, when they are two sides of one coin."
- Filmmaker Arnaud Desplechin
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Kathryn Whalen
Kathryn Whalen is a filmmaker based in New York. Originally from Wyoming, she was awarded Yale University’s top artistic prize for her work in filmmaking and animation while an undergraduate. After moving to New York in 2004, she worked as an assistant to both Charlie Kaufman and Julie Taymor. She attended the NYU Graduate Film program as a Dean’s Fellow, graduating in 2015. Since then, she has produced miniature units for Todd Haynes’s ‘Wonderstruck’ and for Marielle Heller’s ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.’ Most recently, she was co-producer and 2nd Unit Director on HBO’s ‘Succession’. She joined the DGA in 2022.
Her thesis film ‘Bird Dog’ had its international premiere in competition at the 2017 Clermont- Ferrand Film Festival, and she directed ‘Dale’s House’, a horror-comedy pilot that premiered at SXSW in 2021.
'Another Light on the Road' is her first documentary feature.
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Women Make Movies (WMM), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media arts organization registered with the New York Charities Bureau of New York State and accepts charitable donations on behalf of this project. Your donation will be spent by the filmmaker(s) toward the production and completion of this media project. No services or goods are provided by Women Make Movies, the filmmaker(s) or anyone else associated with this project in exchange for your charitable donation.
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