Filmium
Back to search
Movie Backdrop

Finding Vivian Maier streaming

2014 Movie United States Mystery, Documentary, Biography 81 min Ages 0+
By: Charlie Siskel, John Maloof With: Mary Ellen Mark, Daniel Arnaud, John Maloof, Vivian Maier

Real estate agent John Maloof explains how a trip to a local auction house, in search for old pictures to use for a history book about his neighborhood, resulted in him bidding and winning a box full of old negatives. John goes through the massive quantity of negatives, describes how impressed he is by the quality of the images, becomes quickly determined they are not reverent to his project and just puts them away. That could have very likely had been the end of the story, if the power of the images had not pushed him to fall in love with photography. John confides that his photo hobby quickly motivated him to set up a darkroom and devote large amounts of time printing. As he learned more about photography, he recognized that those negatives he had bought, then stored, were the work of a real master. In an attempt to confirm his suspicion, he selected about 100 images and put them online with the hope that the feedback would confirm his judgement as to the strength of the images.

Filmium rating
77%

Festival Achievements

Berlin International Film Festival 2014
Selections:
Panorama 2014

Mood

Inspiring
Intriguing
Melancholy
Nostalgic
Reflective
Thought-Provoking

Cast & Crew

John Maloof
Charlie Siskel
Mary Ellen Mark
Daniel Arnaud
Vivian Maier
Joel Meyerowitz
Phil Donahue
Tim Roth

Budget

Low-Budget

Cinematic Technique

Archival Footage
Documentary
Interview-Based
Narrative-Driven
Photographic
Photography-Focused

Narrative Structure

Biographical
Essay-Style
Investigative
Nonlinear

Pace

Engaging
Moderate
Reflective
Slow-Paced
Steady

Runtime

Approx. 90 Minutes

Soundtrack

Background Score

Style

Cinematic
Documentary
Linear
Realistic
Visual Storytelling

Time-Period

2010S
Contemporary

Central Conflict

Artistic Recognition
Authenticity Of Negatives
Hidden Talent
Legacy Discovery

Characters

Collector
John Maloof
Nanny
Photographer
Street Photographer
Vivian Maier

Ending

Artistic Recognition
Artistic Validation
Celebration Of Legacy
Legacy

Historical Context

2000S
Contemporary
Early 21St Century

Key Plot Points

Bidding At Auction
Discovery Of Master Photographer
Discovery Of Negatives
Interviews
Online Sharing
Posthumous Fame

Plot

Archival Discovery
Artist Recognition
Artistic Discovery
Discovery
Legacy
Mysterious Woman
Photography Legacy
Photography Obsession
Unrecognized Talent

Setting

Auction House
Chicago
Domestic
New York
Urban
Urban Neighborhood

Shooting Location

Auction House
Chicago
Darkroom
New York

Theme

Artistic Legacy
Artistic Recognition
Hidden Brilliance
Identity
Legacy Of Artists
Passion For Photography

Genre

Biographical
Documentary

Audiences

Adults
Art Enthusiasts
Documentary Viewers

Titles

Alla ricerca di Vivian Maier
Finding Vivian Maier
비비안 마이어를 찾아서

Critical Reception

95% Rotten Tomatoes
Critical Acclaim
Favorable Reviews
High Ratings
Thought-Provoking

Festivals

Miami International Film Festival
Portland International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival

Ratings

7.5/10 Metacritic

Reception

Award-Winning
Critical Acclaim
Festival Success

Production Countries

France
United States

Release Year

2013
2014
mowizz ID: 4db8d85a-b34b-4600-abb2-107bce9b76b7
Imprint
Privacy policy
Terms and Conditions
About us
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Supported by:
KtBE
BAK
EGS
Suissimage
Swissperform
© 2026 Filmium GmbH - all external content remains the property of the rightful owner
Version: v1.2.40 (frontend) | (backend)