Pierre Guillet’s art documentary, Born in the Hallway, follows artist Michael Cuomo through a seemingly ordinary day as his life shifts from making art to living it.
It all starts early in the morning, as a small documentary crew pulls up to Michael Cuomo’s studio. With the camera already running and the gear being unloaded, Michael stands in front of the studio to greet them and warns them he isn’t set up yet. Once in the studio, Michael organizes a few things and then pulls out a pad of art paper, his medium of choice, and a snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata). Here, he begins sketching the plant in pencil to capture its shape and form. Once satisfied, he grabs a drink and pulls out the brushes, bringing color to the piece. Michael and Guillet then plan the rest of the day as the artist moves from watercolor to crayon, then to the easel.
As the day continues, Michael goes from sketching to playing the piano to visiting his mother. Later in the day, he teaches an art class for seniors in a way only Michael Cuomo could. This is not your typical high school art class.
Artist Michael Cuomo gazes out his studio window in Born in the Hallway.
“It all starts early in the morning, as a small documentary crew pulls up to Michael Cuomo’s studio.”
After class, Michael hits the street and picks up discarded junk in the middle of the highway. He always has an eye out for overlooked items to use in his art. He then gets a quick bite to eat and returns to the studio to work on the snake plant.
Rarely does a documentary follow an artist through his entire day the way Born in the Hallway does. No talking-head interviews with Michael or his colleagues. The film offers a character study of a man whose life and art are inseparable. No matter what is happening in the world around him, Michael is the constant. He’s an affable man who treats everyone like his best friend. He sees art everywhere he goes, whether in a plain old snake plant, in the work of the seniors in his art class, or even in junk and debris on the street; to him, it’s all art.
There aren’t many frills in Pierre Guillet’s Born in the Hallway. We follow Michael through a single day in his life, and I would venture the next day will be much the same. In this chaotic world, Guillet shows that some people see beauty everywhere, and that beauty is infectious. We should all look for art and beauty wherever we are.
For screening information, visit the Born in the Hallway official website.
"…some people see beauty everywhere, and that beauty is infectious."
