What Remains: The Life and Work of Sally Mann  (2005)

Theatrical Release Information:
What Remains: The Life and Work of Sally Mann

Named "America's Best Photographer" in 2001 by none other than Time Magazine, Lexington-based photographer Sally Mann captures images that challenge both the values and moral attitudes of the viewer. It was 1992's "Immediate Family" series that first propelled Mann into the public eye - the enigmatic pictures of her three children striking a deep chord in art critics and aficionados. Now those children have all grown up, and filmmaker Steve Cantor turns his lens on the shutterbug who's used to being on the other side of the camera. In fact, Cantor has been documenting Mann's work since the early 1990s; his documentary short Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann having played at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival. Here Cantor expands on many of the ideas only hinted at in that abbreviated profile of the artist. In addition to highlighting the controversy surrounding Mann's divisive body of work, Cantor expands his scope to focus more on her artistic output. From the southern landscapes that followed her original portraits to the photos of death and decay that dominated her later work, the filmmaker never shies away from uncomfortable details of the artist's personal and professional lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide