Reel Parr

I Am Martin Parr is an intimate film directed by Lee Shulman that delves into the life and work of the renowned English photographer known for his candid and often humorous depictions of modern society.

- Peter Dench

I did make the film with the idea that if you didn't know who Martin Parr was, you knew nothing about photography, that you would find this film interesting,' says British director Lee Shulman from his home in France where he's lived for over 20 years. Schulman has received awards for directing 100+ adverts globally. In 2017 he established the art initiative The Anonymous Project, collecting and preserving unique colour slides from the past 70 years taken by amateur photographers.

After bumping into each other at Shulman's installation, The House, at the 2019 Rencontres d'Arles, a bond developed with Parr. They went on to collaborate on the book Deja View (Hoxton Mini Press 2021) which pairs Parr's images with archive images from the Anonymous Project. When Shulman first saw Parr's work he wasn't sure if he'd like it. He is now an unabashed uber-fan. 'He's up there with Paul McCartney. For me, he's one of those people who's really created something. Photography will never be the same again and he does it without any ego.'

The 67-minute film launches into a montage of Parr images to White Riot by The Clash, an intellectual punch in the face which sets the tone. It ends with Baggy Trousers by Madness. 'I grew up in that music so for me, those two songs are really important, that's how I see Martin, he's a punk, a sort of child punk. Even though you see this sort of middle-class, white guy, he just doesn't care. Madness are the words to Martin's film photos for me. Baggy Trousers and all these kinds of songs, that felt like they were Martin's world.' The acquisition was expensive but Lee refused to do the film without them and the investors relented.