GENE MERRITT

resumé

Gene Merritt grew up with alcoholic and violent parents. His mother committed suicide when he was twelve years old.
When he became adult, he tried out all kinds of jobs ; he joined his father in leading a life full of violence and alcohol.
At the age of 56 he began drawing. The drawings from the first period, which were inspired by the photos of showbusiness stars, political personalities but also animals, were composed like puzzles from dislocated pieces.
After the death of his father he lived completely abandoned in a trailer on the ground of a family that was supposed to take care of him.
Today, thanks to the support from rare friends and social aide, Gene Merritt has stopped drinking. He lives in a charity house in Rock Hill. His drawings have become simpler, the lines dividing the faces have disappeared and the portraits have become smoother.

technical description

format digital beta/ length 8 minutes / language french - english / direction Bruno Decharme / edit Jan Zuska c/o UPP / image treatment Rasto Simocko c/o UPP / graphic layout Michal Habrdla c/o UPP / music John Lee Hooker "backstabbers" / Otis Redding "(sittin’on) the dock of the bay" / mix Lukas Moudry c/o beep / executive production Barbara Safarova / post-production Jan Hrubec c/o Filmservice Productions / with the help of Tom Stanley, Pavel Simbartl, Tiffany Hanney, Michal Kuba, Filmservice Productions, UPP / production abcd

broadcast

American Folk Art Museum, New York
High Museum of Art, Atlanta
Collection de l’Art Brut, Lausanne