George Kuchar 1942-2011

Experimental film legend and inspirational director George Kuchar passed away on September 6th at the age of 69. He is survived by his twin brother, Mike Kuchar, who shared his apartment in San Francisco. Also a filmmaker of cult fame, Mike played a major role in Kuchar’s career. Growing up, they made short 8mm films together with the first camera their mother, Stella, bought them and eventually started gaining attention for their participation in the underground film culture during the sixties. Among Kuchar’s many successful short films, “Hold Me While I’m Naked” set him apart from other artists of his time, followed by “Weather Diaries,” a series of films about a trailer park in Oklahoma.
As one of his most memorable talents, Kuchar had the ability to make a variety of films on a tiny budget. Because of his unique capacity for creativity, Kuchar was asked to teach filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1971, where he inspired young artists until his deteriorating health prevented him from continuing. Despite financial restrictions, he never sacrificed style and said in a 2009 interview that through his films, he had the goal of “infusing the public with great objects of desire, and dreams, and things of great beauty.” Indeed, he did.