Woo Who? May Wilson

A grandmother begins a new life as an underground artist.
by
Amalie R Rothschild
1970
33 mins

When her husband informs her, after 40 years of marriage, that his future plans no longer include her, May Wilson, age 60, former "wife-mother-housekeeper-cook" and a grandmother, moves to New York City and discovers an independent life of her own for the first time in which the art, that had once been a hobby, becomes central.

More than just a portrait of a courageous and appealing woman this film enters into May Wilson's special world with obvious respect and admiration for this very alive and extraordinary individual. Of special relevance to older women, the film can be used with all groups concerned with self-images and new forms of expression.
Irene Wood
THE BOOKLIST

Synopsis

This pioneering film, made in 1969 before the women’s liberation movement of the 1970s, is a vibrant portrait of the artist. We see her acquiring young new friends and a new self-image, and we watch her gain success as "Grandma Moses of the Underground." We enter into her distinctive world and share her innermost thoughts about artistic process, about the difficult readjustment to being on her own, and about becoming a full-time artist later in life.

Reviews
May Wilson is the heroine of a true story of liberation and a beacon not only to our growing up but to our growing old
Molly Haskell
THE VILLAGE VOICE
A disarming head-on study of a disarming, candid woman... As we see her here, this earthy soul is a person definitely worth knowing.
Howard Thompson
THE NEW YORK TIMES
An outstanding film portrait.
Nadine Covert
FILM LIBRARY QUARTERLY

Awards and Screenings
CINE Eagle Award, 1970
Eighth New York Film Festival, 1970
Excerpt shown on NBC-TV Special "The New Communicators", 1971
Film Forum, 1972
Flaherty Film Seminar, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Walnut Street Theatre, many other venues
First International Festival of Women’s Films, NY, 1972
Women’s International Film Festival, Florence, Italy, 1978
WNET-TV PBS New York, NY
Women’s International Film Festival, Florence, Italy, 2018

Features and Languages

Film Features

  • Closed Captioning

Film/Audio Languages

  • English

Subtitle/Caption Languages

  • English

Promotional Material

Promotional Stills

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