The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography

R

Released Jun 30, 2017

1h 16m

Documentary

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List

97%

61 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A profile of celebrated portrait photographer Elsa Dorfman, whose friends and subjects include Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan.

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Critics Consensus

The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography offers an intriguing glimpse at a distinctive artist's work that's as warmly engaging as its subject.

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Audience Member

Tried to like this one but couldn’t see the appeal of the photography or anything compelling about the story.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/03/20

Full Review

Audience Member

I usually love documentaries like this, but found this one lacking in depth and the anecdotes related within of no interest or note.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

reuben m

I saw this delightful little film at our local "art house" cinema this weekend. It's a light, airy but entertaining work from Errol Morris, who apparently is actually a friend of the film's subject, Elsa Dorfman. Elsa Dorfman is a photographer of some renown, who truly carved a niche for herself when she began doing portraits on the amazing large format Polaroids. She's now staring retirement in the face because Polaroid is no longer making the film she needs. Morris has caught her at a time of looking back, of reflection on her career and life. She's a bit melancholy but also cheerful. Dorfman is just an interesting subject to spend time with. She's a delightfully quirky lady who offers refreshingly honest and unpretentious observations about art (mostly hers). This is not a philosophical film...it's more about capturing the life and enthusiasms of a well-known, if not quite famous, photographer. That she happened to be great friends with many Beat artists, particularly Ginsberg, is an added plus, because she has some delightful stories to share. This is an easy, conversation movie about art, an artist, and the life of an artist. It's not glamorous, but it also doesn't wallow in "oh, the suffering one must endure for art." Dorfman is a practical person. Morris gently prods her for insights...but there's nothing here that's too biting or cutting. We get to see lots of her portraits, and many are indeed delightful. This was a feel-good movie...brisk and breezy and nice to look at. I do very much recommend it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's too bad people don't really go out and see movies like this, because rarely do documentaries, or even films for that matter, today have as much heart as The B-Side has for its subject.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

tom e

She was more interesting to me than her photographs, the way she spoke of the creative 'process' and speaking to the issue of what happens to all her photos when she is gone. I think some viewers will find it to be too slow and not fascinating enough to hold their interest.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Absolutely loved this gem. So much to learn about this wonderful woman.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Errol Morris

Director

Elsa Dorfman

Self

Steven Hathaway

Producer

Robert Fernandez

Executive Producer

Julia Sheehan

Executive Producer

Nathan Allen Swingle

Cinematographer

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The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography: Trailer 1

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Ela Bittencourt

Frieze

Elsa Dorfman's work is ephemeral yet grand: using a giant 20" x 24" camera, that is now discontinued, Dorfman has produced some of the world's largest Polaroid images, showing that unwieldy technology does not need to be limiting when used imaginatively.

Aug 8, 2018

Full Review

Keith Phipps

Uproxx

[Elsa] Dorfman's a fascinating character whose sunny demeanor, much like her generally cheerful photos, contains hidden depths.

Aug 16, 2017

Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Morris' film also functions as an elegy for Polaroid and the large-format imagery that has now ceased to exist as a result of the company's demise.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 20, 2017

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

A quiet look at Dorfman and the art and life she created.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 1, 2021

Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

The B-Side is good as a movie about Elsa Dorfman. But, when considered within the filmography of its director, it's great.

Dec 12, 2020

Full Review

Steven Prokopy

Third Coast Review

It's Dorfman's work that is the real focal point of the film, and there's enough of that featured here to form a complete portrait of a gifted, introspective artist.

May 11, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

A profile of celebrated portrait photographer Elsa Dorfman, whose friends and subjects include Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan.

Director: Errol Morris
Producer: Robert Fernandez, Julia Sheehan
Distributor: Neon
Production Co: Fourth Floor Productions, Moxie Pictures
Rating: R (Brief Language|Some Graphic Nude Images)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 30, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $121.1K
Runtime: 1h 16m

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