Saul Leiter (1923-2013), the subject of Tomas Leach’s new documentary film ‘In No Great Hurry.’ Tomas Leach
Saul Leiter long has been recognized by those in the art world as one of the most important street photographers of his time. But it wasn’t until after his death in November that the New Yorker’s work became widely known and loved by the general public.
Much of the renewed appreciation can be attributed to the film In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons In Life From Saul Leiter , which premiered in select theaters late last year and is getting broader attention thanks to the recent release on DVD. The documentary, by filmmaker Tomas Leach, captures the eternally modest artist in his later years.
“He’ll be generally recognized as one of the great photographers of the 20th century soon enough,” says Leach, who spent months following Leiter.
Part of the reason Leiter remained in the shadows was the fact his work wasn’t as “edgy” as that of other street shooters of his time. While his contemporaries like Diane Arbus and Garry Winogrand were shooting twitchy black and white photos of New York laid bare, Leiter focused on the softer and more colorful aspects of the Big Apple—its iconic yellow cabs, the glamorous high fashion, the omnipresent flower stalls. It was easy to be seduced by the trending and more critical photographers and to overlook the subtle beauty of Leiter’s imagery.
He was also ahead of his time. He shot color photos decades before William Eggleston kickstarted the re-emergence of color photography in the US.
Leach, who didn’t know much about Leiter when he started the project, decided to make the film after readingt a copy of Leiter’s book Early Color (2006). He was instantly mesmerized by Leiter’s color street photographs from the 1940s and 1950s. Leach cold-called the Howard Greenberg Gallery, which represents Leiter, and said Leiter should be the subject of a documentary. The gallery agreed but said there would be no guarantees of the artists’ participation. Leiter was famous for shunning the spotlight and repeatedly said he never wanted to be famous.
“The gallery was interested, but told me that Saul did things his own way,” Leach says.
Leach persisted and sent the gallery his past film work, which it showed to Leiter. The octogenarian eventually came round, invited Leach to New York for coffee. And so began their “slow courtship.”
In No Great Hurry provides a glimpse of Leiter’s daily life in Manhattan. It’s a slow burn, but that was the pace of Leiter’s life, especially in his twilight years. One might infer that slowing down, looking up and truly seeing is key to capturing a decisive moment. Leiter’s New York increasingly focused on his neighborhood.
“A couple of blocks really,” Leach says. “One of his great abilities was in seeing beauty in the things around him.”
Leach, like so many others, admired Leiter’s ability to be himself in his work and in his life. He was stuck in his ways but not cantankerous. Deliberate, yet open. Cautious, but loving. This deep respect set the tone for the film.
“Saul’s greatest lesson was to believe in yourself and your own way of seeing the world,” Leach says.
In No Great Hurry is an antidote to the modern art world, where self-promotion is vital to success. Leiter has proven good work will be recognized in due time and one need not aggressively self-promote or seek attention. Leach says this humble, understated approach made Leiter all the more charming and a worthy subject for a documentary.
“Every moment with Saul was memorable for me,” says Leach.
Shortly before Leiter passed on November 26, he and Leach watched the final cut of movie. The private screening was nerve-wracking but well received.
“Saul spent the whole time laughing at himself, and saying he talked too much,” says Leach. “But in the end, he said it was fine and fair.”
It’s a good job Leiter approved because now if you Google search ‘Saul Leiter,’ the top result is the website for In No Great Hurry. Above the Saul Leiter Wikipedia page. Leach is humbled and proud because his original goal was to address the paucity of information about Leiter.
“If the film is bringing more people to his work and showing them a bit of how special Saul was as a person, I’m delighted,” Leach says.
‘In No Great Hurry’ was released in January 2014 to critical acclaim and is now available to buy as DVD or digital download.
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