Jem Cohen
Directing
Biography
Born in Afghanistan, Jem Cohen is an American experimental filmmaker and photographer, especially known for his observational portraits of urban landscapes, blending of media formats, and collaborations with musicians.
Cohen has worked extensively with musicians including Patti Smith, Fugazi, Terry Riley, R.E.M., Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Xylouris White, DJ Rupture, the Ex, Elliott Smith, Vic Chesnutt, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Matana Roberts, Jessica Moss, Jonathan Richman, T.Griffin/Catherine McRae, White Magic, and the Orpheus Orchestra with Gil Shaham, and has collaborated with writers Luc Sante and Sam Stephenson, and graphic artist Ben Katchor.
As actor 1
On the crew 64
Matewan
1987
At Close Range
1986
Instrument
1999
Little, Big, and Far
2026
The Film That Buys the Cinema
2014
Black Hole Radio
1992
20 Little Films
2012
Chinatown Film Project
2009
Le bled (Buildings in a Field)
2009
R.E.M. - This Film Is On
1991
Glueman
1989
Benjamin Smoke
2000
The Foxx and Little Vic
2002
Drink Deep
1991
Robert and June (and All the Time in the World)
2025
Counting
2015
Sonic Cinema: Sparklehorse
2001
Museum Hours
2012
R.E.M.: In View 1988-2003 (The Best of R.E.M.)
2003
Evening's Civil Twilight in Empires of Tin
2008
Chain
2004
Long for the City (Patti Smith in New York)
2009
Half The Battle
2008
Makeshift (for Mekas)
2019
Vox Populi
2018
Buried in Light
1994
The Passage Clock: For Walter Benjamin
2008
Anne Truitt, Working
2010
Birth of a Nation
2017
This Is a History of New York
1987
Lost Book Found
1996
free
2007
Lucky Three: An Elliott Smith Portrait
1997
World Without End (No Reported Incidents)
2016
NYC Weights and Measures
2018
Gravity Hill Newsreels-Bella ciao
Spirit (Smells Like Teen Spirit)
2007
Little Flags
2000
Museum
1997
Blessed are the Dreams of Men
2006
Blood Orange Sky
1999
Sketches for Late City Final
1991
This Climate
2018
Nightswimming
1995
Gravity Hill Newsreels: Occupy Wall Street
2011
Night Scene New York
2009
Bury Me Not
2016
Peter Hutton
2016
Aerie
2024
4:44 (from her house home)
1989
Just Hold Still
1989
Light Years
1989
Real Birds
2011
Nice Evening, Transmission Down
2001
Building a Broken Mousetrap
2006
Crossing Paths with Luce Vigo
2010
Ballad of Philip Guston
2022
Amber City
1999
June Leaf
2024
Or Nothing (The Double)
2022
We Have an Anchor
2015
Robert and June (Cape Breton and NYC)
2024
Helianthus Corner Blues
2013
On Essex Road
2016