Les Blank was an American documentary filmmaker best known for his portraits of American traditional musicians.
Full Filmography
Directing
Running Around Like a Chicken With Its Head Cut Off
(1960)
Director
Strike!
(1961)
Director
And Freedom Came?!
(1962)
Director
Softball Umpire
(1962)
Director
Dizzy Gillespie
(1964)
Director
The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins
(1968)
Director
God Respects Us When We Work, But Loves Us When We Dance
(1968)
Director
Lightnin' Les
(1968)
Director
The Sun's Gonna Shine
(1969)
Director
Mr. Charlie, Your Rollin’ Mill Is Burnin’ Down
(1969)
Director
Chicken Real
(1970)
Director
A Well Spent Life
(1971)
Director
The Ways of Water
(1971)
Director
Spend It All
(1972)
Director
Hot Pepper
(1973)
Director
Dry Wood
(1973)
Director
A Poem Is a Naked Person
(1974)
Director
Chulas Fronteras
(1976)
Director
Always for Pleasure
(1978)
Director
Del mero corazón
(1979)
Assistant Director
Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers
(1980)
Director
Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe
(1980)
Director
Burden of Dreams
(1982)
Director
Sprout Wings and Fly
(1983)
Director
In Heaven There Is No Beer?
(1984)
Director
Cigarette Blues
(1985)
Director
Six Short Films of Les Blank (1960-1985)
(1985)
Director
Živeli! Medicine for the Heart
(1987)
Director
Gap-Toothed Women
(1987)
Director
Huey Lewis and the News: Before!
(1987)
Director
Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces: Let's Have a Ball
(1988)
Director
I Went to the Dance
(1989)
Director
Yum, Yum, Yum! A Taste of Cajun and Creole Cooking of Louisiana
(1990)
Director
Innocents Abroad
(1991)
Director
Julie: Old Time Tales of the Blue Ridge
(1991)
Director
Puamana
(1991)
Director
Marc and Ann
(1991)
Director
My Old Fiddle: A Visit with Tommy Jarrell in the Blue Ridge
(1994)
Director
The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists
(1995)
Director
Sworn to the Drum: A Tribute to Francisco Aguabella
(1995)
Director
The Maestro Rides Again
(2005)
Director
Lagniappe
(2006)
Director
All In This Tea
(2007)
Director
Treasure of the Lisu
(2010)
Director
How To Smell A Rose: A Visit with Ricky Leacock at his Farm in Normandy
(2014)
Director
Thailand Moment
(2015)
Director
Acting
Running Around Like a Chicken With Its Head Cut Off
(1960)
Here Comes Everybody
(1960)
A Poem Is a Naked Person
(1974)
Self
Six Short Films of Les Blank (1960-1985)
(1985)
Self
Oh My God! It's Harrod Blank!
(2008)
Self
How To Smell A Rose: A Visit with Ricky Leacock at his Farm in Normandy
(2014)
Self
Out in the Woods
(2016)
Self
Camera
Pleasure Faire
(1964)
Director of Photography
Seven Second Love Affair
(1965)
Director of Photography
Christopher Tree
(1967)
Director of Photography
The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins
(1968)
Director of Photography
New Sounds in Music
(1968)
Camera Operator
Mr. Charlie, Your Rollin’ Mill Is Burnin’ Down
(1969)
Director of Photography
String Sounds
(1969)
"B" Camera Operator
A Poem Is a Naked Person
(1974)
Director of Photography
Del mero corazón
(1979)
Director of Photography
Poto and Cabengo
(1980)
Director of Photography
Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers
(1980)
Director of Photography
Burden of Dreams
(1982)
Director of Photography
Sprout Wings and Fly
(1983)
Director of Photography
In Heaven There Is No Beer?
(1984)
Director of Photography
Cigarette Blues
(1985)
Camera Operator
Gap-Toothed Women
(1987)
Director of Photography
Ry Cooder & The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces: Let's Have a Ball
(1988)
Director of Photography
I Went to the Dance
(1989)
Director of Photography
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse
(1991)
Camera Operator
Hole in the Soul
(1994)
Camera Operator
The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists
(1995)
Director of Photography
Lagniappe
(2006)
Director of Photography
Tattoo Uprising
(2019)
Director of Photography
Editing
Christopher Tree
(1967)
Editor
The Arch
(1969)
Editor
Delusion of the Fury: A Ritual of Dream and Delusion
(1971)
Editor
Spend It All
(1972)
Editor
A Poem Is a Naked Person
(1974)
Editor
Chulas Fronteras
(1976)
Editor
Del mero corazón
(1979)
Additional Editor
Production
The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins
(1968)
Producer
Mr. Charlie, Your Rollin’ Mill Is Burnin’ Down
(1969)
Producer
Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe
(1980)
Producer
Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers
(1980)
Producer
Burden of Dreams
(1982)
Producer
In Heaven There Is No Beer?
(1984)
Producer
In the Land of Owl Turds
(1987)
Producer
Huey Lewis and the News: Before!
(1987)
Producer
Gap-Toothed Women
(1987)
Producer
The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists
(1995)
Producer
Crew
The Ways of Water
(1971)
Cinematography
Spend It All
(1972)
Cinematography
Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe
(1980)
Cinematography
Fitzcarraldo
(1982)
Thanks
Innocents Abroad
(1991)
Cinematography
Writing