Finding Vivian Maier

What’s the point of art if nobody sees it? In Finding Vivian Maier, amateur history buff turned makeshift detective Charlie Siskel gets thrown headlong into this debate, as he purchases a box of negatives at auction, only to find that the artist never wanted anybody to find them.

What ensues is a structurally sound unravelling of the life of a mysterious nanny who took well over 100,000 astonishing photos, and showed nobody, content to lock herself and in turn her art away from the world, giving fake names to those she didn’t trust.

Every new image that flashes on screen renders one overcome with an overwhelming gust of humanity in its most vulnerable form. Maier’s photography is often reminiscent of the ‘Humans Of New York’ concept, but the comparison feels glaringly unfair to Maier, who manages to capture the intricate complexities of humanity with far more finesse – no captions needed. While the film nails its third act revelation, it threatens to undermine its credibility with its interviewee balance. Comprised mostly of the children she used to care for, the interviewees possess a penchant for grandiose speculation. In the end, the subject has more substance than the product – likely by design, as it lets Maier’s work speak for itself, perhaps the very privilege she was afraid of being denied.

Finding Vivian Maier, In cinemas 6 Nov