Jonas Mekas

Biography

Jonas Mekas was a Lithuanian-American filmmaker, poet, and artist born in Semeniškiai, Lithuania in 1922. After surviving forced labor under the Nazis, he settled in New York City, where he co-founded Film Culture magazine and Anthology Film Archives. His work explored diaristic forms of cinema, and his films have been exhibited worldwide, including "The Brig," which won the Grand Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1963.