(L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth, Julianne Moore as Gracie, Todd Haynes (Director) on the set of May December. Cr. François Duhamel / Courtesy of Netflix
EXHIBITION
Reflected Forms: Story and Character in the Films of Todd Haynes
Ongoing
Location: Behind The Screen Gallery
On the occasion of Todd Haynes’s latest feature, May December (2023), and the Museum’s celebration of the director at the Winter Moving Image Awards, MoMI is pleased to present an exhibit with materials from the archives of filmmaker Todd Haynes, now part of the Museum’s collection.
Haynes draws deeply on artistic and historical sources, refracting them into films that subvert conventional narratives and genres, and feature characters who transgress from social constraints. May December exemplifies his interest in cinematic storytelling as a mirror that reflects more than what is visible on the surface.
This exhibit focuses on five of Haynes’s films that explicitly invoke historical figures or eras: May December (2023), I’m Not There (2007), Far from Heaven (2002), Velvet Goldmine (1998), and Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987). Featuring image books that he meticulously compiles as preparation and inspiration for each film, as well as sketches, paintings, notes, and an excerpt from his 2023 metacinematic short film Image Book, shot on the set of May December, Reflected Forms: Story and Character in the Films of Todd Haynes offers a glimpse into his process of transforming historical and cultural referents into formally ambitious, richly emotional films.
The exhibit will be on view in the Museum’s core exhibition, Behind the Screen.