The Pittsburgh Documents
3 movies · 1970–1972
The Pittsburgh Documents is a three-part film collection created by American filmmaker Stan Brakhage between 1970 and 1972. These films focus on three institutions within the city of Pittsburgh – the police, the hospital, and the morgue – exploring their interconnected roles in the control of individuals. The collection is considered a significant development in Brakhage's artistic approach. Spanning three films with a total runtime of 102 minutes, The Pittsburgh Documents mark an epistemological shift in Brakhage’s filmmaking. The individual films include Eyes (1970), Deus Ex (1971), and The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (1972). The collection has a total budget and revenue of zero. The three films within the collection are partially connected, examining how these institutions function as instruments influencing human experience. This series represents a specific period in Brakhage’s career, exploring themes related to authority and perception through his distinctive visual style.
