Warhol's weirdos + Jesus = the most unholy holy film you'll ever see.
Michel Auder’s Jesus – in which underground NY artists and Warhol superstars openly discuss their beliefs. Jesus – which premiered as a screening at The Kitchen in 1980 – mixes documentary elements such as footage of evangelical TV programs, books, cartoons, paintings, and other Jesus related imagery – with performances including Taylor Mead as a priest in the West Village and Florence Lambert playing a crucified Jesus. Also, intercut throughout are surprisingly candid interviews with Auder’s friends, family, and people he approaches on New York City streets about their faith and relationship to the world’s most famous person. Among those interviewed are Diego Cortez, Jackie Curtis, Gerard Malanga, Alice Neel (Andrew Neel’s grandmother), Larry Rivers, and Viva.
Acting
Taylor Mead's unhinged priest performance is *chef's kiss*.
Direction
Auder's wandering eye finds Jesus in bodegas and bedrooms.
Production
Crucifixion in the West Village, shot on someone's couch budget.
Director
Michel Auder
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Michel Auder shot this on a borrowed Portapak, the same lo-fi video tech used by early public access shows—hence the gloriously janky aesthetic.
The Kitchen premiere in 1980 placed this squarely in NYC's post-punk No Wave scene, where 'Jesus' was just another downtown character alongside heroin and rent control.
US
