Maya Deren Biography

Maya Deren is known as one of those in Hollywood who represented everything that was not Hollywood . A film theorist and film maker among other things , Maya Deren was born as Eleanora Derenkowsky in Kiev Ukraine . She was born into the film making industry , named after an Italian actress . After moving to Syracuse , New York , it was here where she began her interest in the socialist movement . It was also this move which influenced much of her life and her direction in movies

Maya Deren began her formal education at Syracuse University where

she was an active member of the Trotskyist Young People 's Socialist League She eventually went on to work with Katherine Dunham where she got her chance to work in Hollywood . Using the inheritance she got from her father , Maya Deren purchased a second hand 16mm Bolex camera with which she made what is perhaps considered as one of best films , Meshes of the Afternoon . This was recognized as one of the first seminal American avant-garde films during the time . It was originally a silent film that featured no dialogue , however , in 1957 a soundtrack was added by Teiji Ito

By 1943 , she changed her name to Maya Deren . This was because of her beliefs at that time and reflected her political ideologies as well . By this time , she had already expanded her social circle within Hollywood to include such others like Andre Breton , Marcel Duchamp , John Cage and Anais Nin . A year later , she started her...