Umbrellas: with Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Arts Documentary hosted by Albert Maysles, published by Plexifilms in 2005 - English narration


Information
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Umbrellas: with Christo and Jeanne-Claude
In 1991, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude simultaneously opened 3,100 enormous umbrellas across the landscape of Japan and California. The pair, famous for The Gates in New York City's Central Park and for 'wrapping' the Reichstag, scattered 1,760 yellow parasols across the south of the Golden State and 1,340 blue umbrellas across the Japanese prefecture of Ibaraki. The artwork, which cost $26million, was visited by around three million people. Some picnicked under the parasols while one couple married beneath them. However, the exhibition was forced to close after one umbrella was toppled by high winds and killed a tourist in California. Then, a construction worker was fatally electrocuted as he dismantled the installation during an electrical storm in Japan.
This film directed by Albert and David Maysles and dedicated to the two people who were killed by umbrellas, explores the concept of the budget-busting project, as well as its difficult implementation.
It also captures the mixed reactions of the populations of the cattle ranches of California and the rice farms and paddy fields of Ibaraki. Response ranged from amusement and awe to complete bewilderment, with one American, whose mobile home overlooked a group of parasols, remarking, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen besides the birth of my daughter".


 INTERVIEW
Albert Maysles, Christo and Jeanne-Claude discuss their friendship, the films, and their ongoing collaboration as well as the upcoming Gates Project for New York City's Central Park.

Screenshots
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Technical Specs
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 * Video Codec: x264 CABAC [email protected]
 * Video Bitrate: 1346 Kbps
 * Video Aspect Ratio: 1.333 (4:3)
 * Video Resolution: 720 x 480
 * Audio Codec: AAC LC
 * Audio Bitrate: 128 Kbps CBR 48KHz
 * Audio Channels: 2
 * Run-Time: 80mins
 * Framerate: 25fps
 * Number of Parts: 2
 * Part Size: 777 MB
 * Container: mp4
 * Encoded by: Harry65
 * Source: DVD



Links
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1)  Further Information 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christo_and_Jeanne-Claude