The Martin E. Segal Theater Center presents
Robert Wilson on Screen
Screenings at Anthology Film Archives
At the Segal Theatre Film and Performance Festival 2026
Country
Multiple
Language
Multiple
Running Time
-
minutes
Year of Release
Multiple
About The Film
This summer, in collaboration with the Segal Center Film Festival on Theatre and Performance, The Robert Wilson Estate & Trust, and The Watermill Center, Anthology presents an extensive film series celebrating the work of the great theater artist Robert Wilson, who passed away in 2025 at the age of 83.
SCREENING SCHEDULE:
Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Image of Opera by Mark Obenhaus
(1984, 58 min)
Documents the 1984 BAM restaging of Einstein on the Beach, exploring the collaboration between Philip Glass and Robert Wilson through rehearsal footage and performance excerpts.
Screening Details: May 29 at 6:45 PM; June 4 at 9:00 PM
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Overture for KA MOUNTAIN AND GUARDenia TERRACE by Filmmaker Unknown
(1972, 80 min)
Archival record of a durational 1972 performance by Robert Wilson and collaborators. Preserved from original footage, the film captures a large ensemble work with no surviving soundtrack, emphasizing visual composition and theatrical scale.
Screening Details: May 29 at 8:45 PM; June 5 at 6:45 PM
–––––––––––––––––––––
Video 50 + Deafman Glance by Robert Wilson
(1978/1981, ~85 min)
A pairing of experimental video works: Video 50, a sequence of surreal, stylized vignettes, and Deafman Glance, an adaptation of Wilson’s silent opera exploring ritual, abstraction, and unsettling narrative imagery.
Screening Details: May 30 at 6:15 PM; June 4 at 6:45 PM
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Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars by Howard Brookner
(1987, 90 min)
Follows the creation of Wilson’s ambitious, unfinished opera The CIVIL warS, tracing its international production process and the challenges of realizing a large-scale, multidisciplinary performance work.
Screening Details: May 30 at 8:30 PM; June 5 at 8:45 PM
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Stations + La Femme à la Cafetière + La Mort de Molière by Robert Wilson
(1982/1989/1995, ~90 min)
Three experimental works exploring childhood imagination, painterly performance, and theatrical death. Combining visual composition and minimal dialogue, these films reflect Wilson’s signature approach to time, image, and abstraction.
Screening Details: May 31 at 5:30 PM; June 2 at 6:30 PM
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The Black Rider by Theo Janssen & Ralph Quinke
(1990, 120 min)
A documentary on the making of The Black Rider, Wilson’s collaboration with Tom Waits and William S. Burroughs, featuring rehearsal footage, interviews, and scenes from the Hamburg premiere.
Screening Details: May 31 at 8:00 PM
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Hamlet: A Monologue by Franco Laera
(1997–2000, 95 min)
Documents Robert Wilson’s solo performance of Hamlet, in which he plays all characters in a restructured, dreamlike interpretation of Shakespeare’s text.
Screening Details: June 1 at 6:30 PM
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The Making of a Monologue: Robert Wilson’s Hamlet by Marion Kessel
(1995, 62 min)
Behind-the-scenes look at Wilson’s creative process, using rehearsal and performance footage to reveal the development of his one-man Hamlet.
Screening Details: June 1 at 8:45 PM
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Bob Wilson’s Life & Death of Marina Abramovic by Giada Colagrande
(2012, 57 min)
Documents the creation of an experimental opera on Marina Abramović, capturing the collaboration between Wilson and fellow artists through rehearsal footage and interviews.
Screening Details: June 2 at 8:45 PM
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Robert Wilson In Situ by Pauline de Grunne
(2017, 90 min)
Explores Wilson’s creation of The Watermill Center, combining archival material and interviews to examine his artistic philosophy and collaborative practice.
Screening Details: June 3 at 7:00 PM
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Watermill 1993 + Watermill Center Summer Program 2009 by Stefan Kurt & Tomek Jeziorski
(1993/2010, ~65 min)
Two films documenting the evolution of The Watermill Center as a space for interdisciplinary artistic experimentation and residency-based creation.
Screening Details: June 3 at 8:45 PM
Schedule:
Friday, May 29
6:45 pm
Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Image of Opera — Mark Obenhaus
(1984, 58’)
8:45 pm
Overture for KA MOUNTAIN AND GUARDenia TERRACE — Filmmaker Unknown
(1972, 80’, Silent)
Saturday, May 30
6:15 pm
Video 50 + Deafman Glance — Robert Wilson
(1978 / 1981, ~85’)
8:30 pm
Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars — Howard Brookner
(1987, 90’)
Sunday, May 31
5:30 pm
Stations + La Femme à la Cafetière + La Mort de Molière — Robert Wilson
(1982 / 1989 / 1995, ~90’)
8:00 pm
The Black Rider — Theo Janssen & Ralph Quinke
(1990, 120’)
Monday, June 1
6:30 pm
Hamlet: A Monologue — Franco Laera
(1997–2000, 95’)
8:45 pm
The Making of a Monologue: Robert Wilson's Hamlet — Marion Kessel
(1995, 62’)
Tuesday, June 2
6:30 pm
Stations + La Femme à la Cafetière + La Mort de Molière — Robert Wilson
(1982 / 1989 / 1995, ~90’)
8:45 pm
Bob Wilson’s Life & Death of Marina Abramovic — Giada Colagrande
(2012, 57’)
Wednesday, June 3
7:00 pm
Robert Wilson In Situ — Pauline de Grunne
(2017, 90’)
8:45 pm
Watermill 1993 + Watermill Center Summer Program 2009 — Stefan Kurt / Tomek Jeziorski
(1993 / 2010, ~65’)
Thursday, June 4
6:45 pm
Video 50 + Deafman Glance — Robert Wilson
(1978 / 1981, ~85’)
9:00 pm
Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Image of Opera — Mark Obenhaus
(1984, 58’)
Friday, June 5
6:45 pm
Overture for KA MOUNTAIN AND GUARDenia TERRACE — Filmmaker Unknown
(1972, 80’, Silent)
8:45 pm
Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars — Howard Brookner
(1987, 90’)
About The Artist(s)
Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson (1941–2025) was a pioneering American theatre director and visual artist known for his highly stylized, interdisciplinary works. His collaborations with artists like Philip Glass and Tom Waits reshaped experimental performance and opera worldwide.
Mark Obenhaus
Mark Obenhaus is an American documentary filmmaker known for arts and cultural films. His work often explores music and performance, including the definitive film on Einstein on the Beach.
Howard Brookner
Howard Brookner (1954–1989) was an American filmmaker known for intimate portraits of artists and cultural figures. His work includes Burroughs and Robert Wilson and the Civil Wars, capturing ambitious creative processes.
Theo Janssen & Ralph Quinke
German filmmakers known for documenting theatre and performance, including The Black Rider, offering rare insight into Robert Wilson’s rehearsal processes and collaborations.
Franco Laera
Franco Laera is a theatre director and filmmaker whose work bridges stage and screen. His film on Hamlet: A Monologue captures Robert Wilson’s minimalist and performative reinterpretation of Shakespeare.
Marion Kessel
Marion Kessel is a filmmaker focused on documenting theatre-making processes. Her work provides behind-the-scenes insight into Robert Wilson’s rehearsal methods and visual dramaturgy.
Giada Colagrande
Giada Colagrande is an Italian filmmaker and video artist known for experimental and biographical works. She collaborates frequently with major artists, including Willem Dafoe and Marina Abramović.
Pauline de Grunne
Pauline de Grunne is a Belgian filmmaker whose documentaries explore contemporary art and performance. Her work often focuses on creative processes and artist-led spaces.
Stefan Kurt
Stefan Kurt is a Swiss filmmaker and actor whose work includes documentary projects on artistic communities and performance environments.
Tomek Jeziorski
Tomek Jeziorski is a filmmaker and cultural producer working across documentary and performance. His work often engages with theatre archives and international artistic networks.
Get in touch with the artist(s)