UNCLE HOWARD
UK, US, 2016, 96’
Director: Aaron Brookner
Production: Pinball London with support from the Bertha Foundation, the Clearance Lab, the Creative Europe Program of the European Union, The Jerome Foundation
SELECTIONS AND AWARDS
Sundance IFF (2016)
Cleveland IFF (2016)
SYNOPSIS
When Howard Brookner lost his life to AIDS in 1989, the 35-year-old director had completed two feature documentaries and was in post-production on his narrative debut. 25 years later, his nephew, Aaron, sets out on a quest to find the lost negative of “Burroughs: The Movie”, his uncle’s critically-acclaimed portrait of legendary author William S. Burroughs. When Aaron uncovers Howard’s extensive archive in Burroughs’ bunker, it not only revives the film for a new generation, but also opens a vibrant window on New York City’s creative culture from the 1970s and ‘80s, and inspires a wide-ranging exploration of his beloved uncle’s legacy.
Executive producer of the film: Jim Jarmusch.
BIOGRAPHY OF DIRECTOR
Born in 1981, Aaron Brookner is a writer and director from New York. His first feature film, “The Silver Goat”, was created exclusively for the iPad and downloaded in 24 countries. Previously, Brookner directed music related content and the award-winning short documentary “The Black Cowboys”. In 2011 he embarked on the remastering of Howard Brookner’s archive. In 2014, Brookner created a video installation in London. “Uncle Howard” is his first feature-length documentary.
FILMOGRAPHY (SELECTED)
2016 — Uncle Howard
2011 — The Silver Goat
2004 — The Black Cowboys