What Remains: The Life and Work of Sally Mann

This is the second documentary Steven Cantor made on Sally Mann. The first was a 30 minute film titled "Blood Ties: The Life and work of Sally Mann". "Blood Ties" concentrated on Sally's very controversial publication "Immediate Family", this is a much longer documentary being an hour and twenty minutes in length and is a far more comprehensive view of her life and work.This documentary discusses several aspects of her life, from childhood to the time the documentary was filmed. Sally talks at length about her father and other things from her childhood which affected her, especially her view of art. She also describes how and when she met her husband.A brief discussion of her series "Immediate Family" is included but is only a small portion of the overall film, which does include some information on what her now grown children are doing. (When "Blood Ties" was made they were still young children.) Sally discusses the morphing of her work from children to landscapes, which resulted in her "Deep South" series.She goes on from there to explain how the death of an escaped convict on her property and other deaths got her started on a new project about decay. That is project for which this film is named. This film spends more time on her "What Remains" series than on her other works. Video of her walking through the Forensic Study Facility for the University of Tennessee and examining and photographing the bodies decomposing there is included in the film.This is an amazing look into the life and work of Sally Mann. It does contain some nudity, both of her children and of her husband. This nudity in mainly in the display of the photographs she has taken of her husband and children."Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann" is included with the extras on this DVD (and is also available on a separate DVD from Amazon.com). The extras on this DVD also include eight deleted scenes, excerpts from a photojournalism conference at which Sally spoke, and a few photos from her "Deep South" series, her "Immediate Family" series, and from her "What Remains" series.

As both an artist and a connoisseur of art, I found this in-depth focus on the artist to be sincerely fascinating. Whether you can appreciate her photography or not, it's her raw demonstration of her inner life and struggles that I found most appealing about this doc.The lines I found most intriguing, were the ones that any artist could connect with: "I think it’s important but maybe it isn’t, but maybe it’s important and no one wants to see it. Maybe no one needs to see it. Maybe it’s four years of wasted time."

Sally Mann is one of the most important photographers of our time, and this dvd is essential to understanding her work as an artist. This dvd deserves 6 stars because in the extras it includes the 30 minute oscar nominated documentary "Blood Ties" that aired on HBO in the early 90's during the "Immediate Family" photos. As well as the new full length doc that takes you through the "What Remains" era and how that concept unfolded from her husbands illness, into the death of her dog, into the suicide of a prisoner on her farm, into the civil war landscapes, into the photos of decaying bodies, into the photos of her children. She really challenges all of our concepts and fears of the subject of death and breaks it down to a beautiful idea of a natural process. I really can't say enough about how important her work is, but this dvd will. All i can say is this is worth your time and money.

Sally Mann is one of my art heroes. Mann approaches relatively simple subject matter (such as landscapes, her family & death) & makes them profound through exploration & representation. Mann sees these subjects through a lens (literally & metaphorically) which compels the viewer to reevaluate meaning and thus, hopefully, to grow psychologically and emotionally. In my eyes, this is the ultimate purpose of art.This documentary presents Sally Mann & her family in intimate terms. The viewer gets a good feeling for whom she is, what motivates her and her style of working process. I highly recommend this for any photographer/artist whom is interested in pushing the limits of their own arts.

A long self absorbed look at one person whose need for complete and total center stage leaves those around her dying. There pain and longing for a part in her one woman show was palpable. Not someone of interest.

1-Since when dead bodys treat as a fine art?!!2-You'll see how our "Photographer" she enjoying to see dead body at test farm..3-Also you'll see how she crying like a baby because no one what to display her works!!!?? .Ok may some Naming her "Photographer" but i think we can name her PHOTOGRAPHER WITHOUT SOUL. Please give me you feedback after watching this DVD. Thanks

I studied with Sally at the Maine Photo Workshop in the late 80's. I later visited and dined with her in Lexington. The film represented the Sally I knew and loved and gave a good description of her wet plate technique and creative process. I was happy to see her kids grown, I remember chatting with them at her show at Joe Tart Gallery in DC in roughly 1989. I was so sorry to hear of larry's illness. I remember him showing me some creative blacksmithing on my visit. I enjoy daily the photo I made of her lying on the Maine forest floor.

A profile of a narcassist who didn't protect her children from her own voyeristic eye or would-be predators. She decided her art was more important than her children. And if you needed more of a reason, she also photographs dead bodies of people who can't give informed consent any more than her children did.