Bill Cunningham New York 2010

Photographer Bill Cunningham, well into his ninth decade, has two weekly columns in the ‘Style’ section of the New York Times: ‘On the Street’, where he identifies fashion trends as he spots them emerging on the street; and ‘Evening Hours’, his coverage of high society charity benefits. His work constitutes a long-running chronicle more reliable than any catwalk of fashion as expression of time, place and individual flair. This documentary introduces us to a dedicated artist whose only wealth is his own lovely, graceful generosity. — BG

“The movie charms by bringing you into the private world of a man who would clearly prefer you direct your attention at the glorious, gaudy beauty embodied by the passing human parade that he immortalizes – and insistently democratizes – with lightning-fast moves and palpable joy. Despite his proximity to fashion’s power elite (hello Anna Wintour!), Mr Cunningham retains a remarkable innocence. Fashion is his muse, not the manufactured glamour and celebrity fetishism that often pollutes it.” — Manohla Dargis, NY Times