overview
In BY SIDNEY LUMET, film legend Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) tells his own story in a never-before-seen interview shot in 2008 produced by the late filmmaker Daniel Anker. With candor, humor and grace, Lumet reveals what matters to him as an artist and as a human being. The documentary film features clips from Lumet's films - 44 films made in 50 years - including 12 ANGRY MEN (1957), THE FUGITIVE KIND (1960), SERPICO (1973), DOG DAY AFTERNOON (1975), THE VERDICT (1982), to name only a very few. Filmmaker Nancy Buirski (Afternoon of a Faun, The Loving Story) combines these elements to create a portrait of the work and life of one of the most accomplished and influential directors in the history of cinema. BY SIDNEY LUMET illustrates the spiritual and ethical lessons at the core of his work. First and foremost a storyteller, Lumet's strongly moral tales capture the dilemmas and concerns of a society struggling with essentials: how does one behave to others and to oneself?