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.
It can be hard to pinpoint why, or even how, Billy Shebar’s Monk in Pieces is so much better and more involving than the average documentary about the life of an artist…. [The film] transcends its format because it’s less the story of an artist than it is the story of artistry itself — of what it does, of why we need it, and of how it survives in the face of a world that loves discovery almost as much as it hates anything it hasn’t already heard or seen before.”
— David Ehrlich, IndieWire
“We finally get a good view of a New York cultural giant who towers over the skyscrapers in the outstanding, beyond words documentary Monk In Pieces. It is all about artist Meredith Monk, the 20th-century visionary who explored non-verbal voice work twined with dance, theater, and filmmaking for decades. 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... Monk in Pieces Monk captures the experimental style and originality of this ageless performer who redefined avant-garde.”
– 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
"For those unfamiliar with Monk (this critic included), Monk in Pieces serves as an apt corrective, 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... Shebar’s masterclass of editing reinforces the unclassifiability of Monk’s genre…
Monk has pushed many boundaries over the course of her career, fighting the mainstream by nurturing big ideas that felt true to her. With that passion came a potent legacy that remains undiscovered by many. 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.”