A Closer Look: Kelly Reichardt

This chapter focuses on Reichardt’s career, definition of success, and specific model of filmmaking. Included is a brief biographical sketch of Reichardt’s life, detailing issues related to family, childhood, education, and other filmmaking experiences in addition to her feature films and shorts. This biography gives way to a discussion of the filmmaker’s experiences in the independent film industry as a woman director and an artist who defines success as controlling her artistic vision. The overview of Reichardt’s early growth and experiences as a student and filmmaker, informs the production details and close readings of her feature films.