Press
"Billy Shebar’s vital documentary makes sense of an artist who’s always defied basic understanding… a perfect window into the singular genius of Meredith Monk."
— David Ehrlich, IndieWire
"It is achingly brilliant and needs to be stampeded to immediately!"
— Michael Talbot-Haynes, Film Threat
"With a subject outrageous and bold, this evocative film will blow you away…"
– Gordon Durich, The Hollywood Times
“A highly engaging documentary portrait of Meredith Monk, trailblazing icon of New York City’s experimental arts and music scene… An engaging, relatable, very human story about an uncompromising female artist battling to keep her unique vision alive.”
— Stephen Dalton, The Film Verdict
“Monk is finally getting her due recognition in this extraordinary documentary… This film is one of the peaks of the festival.”
— Brian Bromberger, SF Bay Area Reporter
“This isn’t the first documentary about her. But it is the best… Monk in Pieces offers manna for fans, and might well make converts out of the merely curious."
– Dennis Harvey, 48 Hills
“The scenes in which Björk describes her intense feelings and amazement are among the numerous beautiful moments of Monk in Pieces…”
– Andreas Köhnemann, Kino-Zeit
"Shebar pays tribute to Monk’s daring with a lively and appropriately offbeat biography of the artist… The constant presence of the truly singular art Monk created gives “Monk in Pieces” a real timeless quality… the best celebration that could be offered for an artist who found so much in her own voice.”
— Stephen Saito, The Moveable Fest
“There’s a compelling dissonance between the audio and visual that renders Monk in Pieces nearly experimental. It’s a creative choice that deftly reflects Monk’s own approach to her iconoclastic art, forcing us to listen with a different ear, to look closer not away.”
— Lauren Wissot, Filmmaker Magazine
"A vibrant mosaic of her life and work that both honors her prolific output and celebrates her singular vision."
— Eileen G'Sell, Hyperallergic
"A work of art about a working artist… For those unfamiliar with the underground icon, have no fear: the uniqueness of her sound is made remarkably accessible... This film is bound to stoke a new fan base.”
– Lydia Smith, Buffed Film Buffs
“Billy Shebar and David C Roberts present the rich tapestry of Monk’s music… soaring vocalisations that swoop and loop across her three-octave range… Their approach makes it an accessible introduction for newcomers to Monk’s oeuvre and should help it attract attention beyond the festival circuit.”