Independent filmmaker and editor
Guy Maddin is without question one of the most important artistic voices to come out of Canada. His filmography should be essential viewing for any aspiring editor and video essayist. Maddin's bold signature trait is recreating the look and emotion of silent films from the 1910s and 1920s in his moving image works. While his features
My Winnipeg and
Brand Upon The Brain! are some of his more widely known films, this informative and entertaining video essay by
Kevin B. Lee and
Matt Zoller Seitz (two of titans of the video essay form) does a spectacular job of shining a spotlight on what may be Maddin's unsung masterwork
Cowards Bend The Knee, from 2003.
On a side note, I want to especially commend Kevin for curating and saving this particular video essay. It's one of the countless video essays that were removed from the
Fandor website once that company underwent a change in its artistic direction.
Please watch the video below and be sure to share it on your social media platforms.
Sharing is caring, after all.
