Throwing Curves: Eva Zeisel
Encyclopedia
Throwing Curves : Eva Zeisel is a 2002
documentary film
directed by Jyll Johnstone. The film follows and interviews then-97-year-old Hungarian
industrial design
er and ceramic artist Eva Zeisel
. It examines how her upbringing, fame, and personality have influenced her work and reputation to the present day. Zeisel narrates her own history, including her escape from both the Soviet Union and Nazi-annexed Austria, as family members, friends, and relevant experts offer insights into her character. Alternating between archival footage and video interviews, the film explores how Zeisel's personal life has shaped the development of her work, which is on display in the Museum of Modern Art
and other museums around the world. Zeisel's age is a key theme of the film, and several interviewees comment on her unusual industriousness and innovation for an elderly woman.
The film is the first in a series of three films by Directors Guild of America Award
-nominated director Jyll Johnstone that "explores the lives of three 85-plus women still actively engaged in creative lives." Throwing Curves screened at the 2002 Mill Valley Film Festival
and the Rocky Mountain Women's Festival.
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Jyll Johnstone. The film follows and interviews then-97-year-old Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
industrial design
Industrial design
Industrial design is the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production...
er and ceramic artist Eva Zeisel
Eva Zeisel
Eva Striker Zeisel is a Hungarian-born industrial designer known for her work with ceramics, primarily from the period after she immigrated to the United States. Her forms are often abstractions of the natural world and human relationships...
. It examines how her upbringing, fame, and personality have influenced her work and reputation to the present day. Zeisel narrates her own history, including her escape from both the Soviet Union and Nazi-annexed Austria, as family members, friends, and relevant experts offer insights into her character. Alternating between archival footage and video interviews, the film explores how Zeisel's personal life has shaped the development of her work, which is on display in the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
and other museums around the world. Zeisel's age is a key theme of the film, and several interviewees comment on her unusual industriousness and innovation for an elderly woman.
The film is the first in a series of three films by Directors Guild of America Award
Directors Guild of America Awards
The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D.W. Griffith....
-nominated director Jyll Johnstone that "explores the lives of three 85-plus women still actively engaged in creative lives." Throwing Curves screened at the 2002 Mill Valley Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival
The Mill Valley Film Festival is an annual, non-competitive film festival presented by the California Film Institute. Known as a filmmakers’ festival, the annual Mill Valley Film Festival offers a non-competitive environment for exhibiting independent and world cinema.Founded in 1978 by MVFF...
and the Rocky Mountain Women's Festival.