Legendary Documentarian Albert Maysles To Be Honored In Provincetown

Plenty of high-wattage stars are expected to attend this weekend's Provincetown International Film Festival. Among them will be legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles, a pioneer in the industry who is receiving this year’s career achievement award.

Maysles is best known for his work alongside his brother David, who passed away in 1987. Together, they made such documentaries as "Grey Gardens" and "Christo in Paris."

Morning Edition's Bob Oakes spoke with Maysles about his life and work.

When Maysles was asked about his film, "Salesman," about door-to-door Bible salesmen in Boston, he said he "just had an instinct that the Bible salesman and the housewife would somehow tell a great deal about America." In fact, he added, "Norman Mailer saw the film and that was his comment. He said that he thought it told more about America than any film he had ever seen."

Maysles is 84 years old and still making films. "There is still so much I want to tell," he said.