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Jonas Mekas (1922-2019), Lithuanian-born poet, philosopher and film-maker, has made hundreds of films and set up the Anthology Film Archive. He emigrated to American in 1949 where he earned the title of 'the godfather of American avant-garde cinema'. [Listener: Amy Taubin; date recorded: 2003]

TRANSCRIPT: The main headache is the fundraising and... and that... that is, you know, luck, miracles, luck and hard work and nothing else, constantly, you know, attacking all the people, all the people that I've during my, you know, my New York life I had sort of befriended, and the renovation of the building we knew will be about one million. It became one million point seven to transport it from, you know... Totally, it was disaster of a building, no roof, no... no... just walls, practically, so I would say one third of it, of the monies came from the artists who donated their works which I sold. We published an art portfolio with some of the best artists that we had in 1970: Warhol, Rauchenberg, Richard Serra and Rosenquist down the line. Then, we took a huge bank loan of $850,000 and that's what we're still paying, 250. And various smaller, you know, donations and loans, but we did it.

I did not know where it will come from, I had no idea, same as I don't know now. The library will cost us two million and a half. I have no idea where it will come from, but I know that there is a necessity for it, therefore, the money... I will be able to persuade it somebody or several people to help me because there is a necessity and when there is a necessity I am able to persuade people. When there is no necessity for something then, you know... But at this case there is an absolute necessity. Because those paper materials must be available and plus... I mean, they're history and Harry Smith's of 3,000 very rare music records, there are 5,000 of his book collection of his book, the original Kenneth Anger drawings and all the and boxes and boxes of Joseph Cornell paper materials and Brakhage and... and etc. Of course to some, some will say: so what, big deal. But there will be others who will understand. And so, what I mean, with all the money is going for totally useless activities, projects like wars and here at least here will be two million and half put into something that will last, that something that will remain. So it will be done.

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