The film is largely narrated by someone Meier knew, from which we can build a portrait of Meier. She earns a living by working as a nanny. She loves photography very much, and everyone's deepest impression of her is that she is tall and big, and she has always carried her big and square camera. She was lonely, had no friends, had no husband or children, and had never made a personal phone call from her employer's house. Not only does she take pictures, she also makes movies and interviews people around her on political issues. She said sharply to a woman who said "I don't know", "You should have your own opinion, and women should have their own opinions." She once made a world trip, and her footprints have traveled to every country in South America. Before that, no one until she was a photographer. Filling the entire film, whether it is the memories of others or Meier's work, we cannot avoid a deep sense of loneliness. She is good at capturing passers-by and primitive emotions on the streets of Chicago, whether it is the poor, the frustrated, the elderly, crying children, animals. She pays attention to social topics, and many of the newspapers she collects are about social issues or negative news. She has a lot of selfies, but you won't see her smile in her selfies. Her works are full of her understanding of life, compassion for the weak and small, and new discoveries about the city where she lives. Great photographers are good at capturing emotions and stories, and Vivienne Meyer is the first photographer.
Under the lens of Vivian Maier, the streets of the United States in the 1950s and 1960s were full of a strong sense of story and vitality. She is good at capturing close-ups of people on the street, like a "spy" peeping into the world. Whether it is for practice or recording purposes, her shooting topics are broad and untargeted. Everything from the poor man in front of a temp service to the swagger of the wealthy on Michigan Avenue, has appeared in her footage. She takes the same distance and calm observation, capturing images that pique her interest. Her work reflects what defines a street photographer: a broad and equal acceptance of people's diversity and uniqueness.
In the last twenty minutes of the film, people talk about some of her extreme behavior as a nanny, and we get to see the dark side of Vivienne Meyer. She is paranoid, lonely, and extreme, and the camera is probably the best way she can find to talk to the world.
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