A trailer has arrived for “By Sidney Lumet,” a heartfelt tribute from one director to another. Emmy award-winner Nancy Buirski (“Afternoon of a Faun”) premiered her documentary about the prolific, critically acclaimed filmmaker at Cannes last year.
Lumet helmed 44 films in his 50-year-plus career, including classics such as “Serpico” (1973), “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975) and “Network” (1976). The legacy of Lumet’s “12 Angry Men” (1957) endures — the crime drama was the inspiration behind “12 Angry Men Inside Amy Schumer,” a brilliant Emmy-nominated episode of Comedy Central’s “Inside Amy Schumer.”
The trailer for “By Sidney Lumet” begins with a scene from the iconic film.
“I love characters who are rebels,” says Lumet. “Not accepting the status quo is the fundamental area of human progress — and drama, God knows.”
The doc, which features many clips from Lumet’s illustrious career, is anchored by a never-before-seen interview with the director filmed in 2008. He died in 2011.
“More than anything, I want [viewers] to have a deep appreciation for this artist and artists in general — the subtle, organic ways a person’s life informs their work,” Buirski told Women and Hollywood. She explained, “I want them to respect Mr. Lumet’s discipline, his work ethic and his excitement about his craft. I’d be especially gratified if they grasp how deeply embedded his morality was, so that it informed almost every film he made. He was honest and generous in both his work and, indeed, in this interview, and we are the beneficiaries.”
“By Sidney Lumet” will screen at Tribeca Film Festival on April 22.
