What Remains

What Remains is a compelling 2005 documentary film directed by Steven Cantor, offering an intriguing look into the life and work of renowned photographer Sally Mann. The film features Sally Mann herself, along with Karen Bailey and Richard Jantz, among others. Foremost, it provides rare behind-the-scenes access and personal perspectives that engage the audience in Mann's unique creative process and her bold explorations of deeply complex themes.

The documentary unfolds by capturing Mann's approach to her work, showcasing her significant contributions to the world of art and more importantly, exploring the inspirations behind her often controversial, and always powerful, imagery. It provides a vivid exhibition of her controversial recording methods, including her choice of employing the 19th-century wet collodion process, which gives her photographs a quality unachievable by modern techniques.

Salient within the film is a showcase of the significant body of Mann's artistic work which includes landscapes, still life, and portraiture, with a particular focus on her family. However, the film does not shy away from engaging with the controversies surrounding her work. Especially compelling is the scrutiny of Mann's famous "Immediate Family" series, in which she photographed her own children, often nude, immersed in the seemingly eternal idyllic summer of their rural Virginia home.

Through the exploration of Mann's engagement with themes such as innocence, youth, mortality, and time, the film successfully delves into the complex layers of human relationships and the ever-observed concepts of life and death. Moreover, it illuminates the thin line between public and private life and the fine, nuanced balance between reality and art that drives the creation of truly profound artwork.

What Remains is not limited to the discussions revolving around art and aesthetics as it also delves into legal, ethical, and sociopolitical dimensions that are intrinsic to Mann's art form. It touches on the wide spectrum of reactions her work has garnered, from being hailed as one of America's best photographers to the inflammatory backlash from those who find her work exploitative and inappropriate.

The movie features engaging interactions and conversations with Mann’s family members, friends, and various experts, including Karen Bailey and Richard Jantz, who offer multiple perspectives and critical insights into Mann’s artwork and the themes she explores. These conversations illuminate how her work triggers emotional and intellectual responses, offering viewers the opportunity to deeply engage with her photographs and the meanings they encapsulate.

As the audience accompanies Mann in her thought-provoking, often controversial journey, they are treated to an unforgettable tour of her extensive body of work. The film also chronicles some of the obstacles she had to overcome, including public and legal criticism.

What Remains is not just a film about an artist and her work, but a cinematic journey that asks profound questions about the nature of art, the role of the artist, and the complex interplay of aesthetics, personal experience, and societal norms that shapes our understanding of the world. It goes behind the lens, excavating the roots of Mann's artistic vision and the themes that incessantly permeate her work: an unrestrained exploration of family, love, death, time, and the beautiful horror of the organic world.

It is a powerful testament to the love and dedication that Mann places on her craft, and her powerful belief in the substantiality of her subjects and the stories they narrate. Intricate, intimate, and captivatingly filmed, the documentary is testimony to Sally Mann’s courage in pushing and exploring the boundaries of photographic art and gives viewers a deeper understanding and appreciation of her work. Fascinating, complex, and unreservedly honest, What Remains is a unique and riveting portrait of one of the most significant photographers of our time.