"Al Neil, the musician, poet, sculptor and 'shaman,' has been virtually an institution in West Coast art mythology. He was considered an inspiration to many artists in the sixties ... Whether he is a recluse, mystic or Dadaist is only of historical concern. The task facing Rimmer was the creation of a portrait of both an institution and a friend ... Al Neil: A Portrait is more than a documentary profile of a man engaged in a life and death struggle with his genius and his obsessions. While the narrative thread is centred around pathos, the film represents a coming to terms with what these generalizations really mean ... the many personas of Al Neil: the private,intoxicated, and poetic man; the public performer and musician; and the family outcast. Rimmer's integration of these levels is masterful." (Al Razutis)
Award(s): First Prize, Ann Arbor, San Francisco Art Institute
Also available as a 16mm print with advanced notice.
