Peter Hujar's Day

In 1974, writer Linda Rosenkrantz embarked on an experimental journalism project in which an emerging artist would have a conversation with her—and her tape recorder—about the day-to-day reality of an artist’s life in New York. 

Photographer Peter Hujar agreed to participate, casually recounting the events of a single day in his life. Though the original 50-year-old tape no longer exists, a transcript survived and was published three years ago.

Now, in an elegantly modest style, director Ira Sachs has recreated the original conversation verbatim, using Rosenkrantz’s actual apartment as the setting. During the freewheeling exchange, Hujar shares details of his interactions with William Burroughs, Susan Sontag, Allen Ginsberg, and others. 

"The best film at Sundance is just two people talking. It is a masterpiece." – Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine