A Story to Live
By Shannon Plumb | July 30, 2024
By Shannon Plumb | July 30, 2024
A Story to Live
Shannon Plumb goes to Florida to visit her father ... and finds inspiration in his surprising narrative arc.
Shannon Plumb
Shannon Plumb has shot over 200 short films, which have been exhibited in museums, galleries, and on international screens. She started by shooting herself as various characters, acting out three-minute situations using humor and silence as her vehicles for storytelling. In 2013, her first feature film, Towheads, premiered at MoMA as part of New Directors / New Films. You can see her short films at shannonplumb.com and Towheads is available on Netflix and iTunes. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, director Derek Cianfrance, and their two sons.
Talks
Finding My Stage
By Shannon Plumb | November 3, 2023
By Shannon Plumb | November 3, 2023
Finding My Stage
As the SAG-AFTRA strike continues, filmmaker Shannon Plumb looks back at why she first became an actor.
Getting the Link Out
By Shannon Plumb | August 22, 2022
By Shannon Plumb | August 22, 2022
Getting the Link Out
Shannon Plumb shares her experiences trying to find an audience for her new sketch comedy show, Chopped Liver.
Becoming Coach Shannon
By Shannon Plumb | June 21, 2022
By Shannon Plumb | June 21, 2022
Becoming Coach Shannon
Filmmaker Shannon Plumb on her experiences returning to her basketball roots to coach a middle school team.
Why Lucy Matters to Me
By Shannon Plumb | March 15, 2022
By Shannon Plumb | March 15, 2022
Why Lucy Matters to Me
To mark the release of Amy Poehler’s new doc Lucy and Desi, Shannon Plumb shares her deep love of Lucille Ball and how she changed the world.
The Velvet Queen and the Art of Patience
By Shannon Plumb | January 20, 2022
By Shannon Plumb | January 20, 2022
The Velvet Queen and the Art of Patience
Shannon Plumb delves deep into the world of this new nature documentary, and also finds lessons for our current situation.
From One (Great) Man to Another: Darius Marder and the Story of Sound of Metal
By Shannon Plumb | May 4, 2021
By Shannon Plumb | May 4, 2021
From One (Great) Man to Another: Darius Marder and the Story of Sound of Metal
Shannon Plumb on how her friend and fellow filmmaker came to make his acclaimed, double Oscar-winning drama.
Little Voices
By Shannon Plumb | April 14, 2021
By Shannon Plumb | April 14, 2021
Little Voices
Prompted by Allen v. Farrow, Shannon Plumb shares a story from her own family that shows the importance of listening to and believing children.
Between Young and Old
By Shannon Plumb | February 11, 2021
By Shannon Plumb | February 11, 2021
Between Young and Old
Shannon Plumb talks film, aging and the pandemic with her friend Azazel Jacobs, whose latest movie, French Exit, opens in theaters this week.
Revisited: Derek Cianfrance in Quarantine Finishing I Know This Much Is True
By Shannon Plumb | December 29, 2020
By Shannon Plumb | December 29, 2020
Revisited: Derek Cianfrance in Quarantine Finishing I Know This Much Is True
Under lockdown, filmmaker Shannon Plumb talks to her husband Derek Cianfrance as he completes his new HBO show with Mark Ruffalo.
The Year Stories Brought Us Together
By Shannon Plumb | December 17, 2020
By Shannon Plumb | December 17, 2020
The Year Stories Brought Us Together
Filmmaker Shannon Plumb looks back on what she watched and how she observed the world during the trauma and upheaval of 2020.
Derek Cianfrance in Quarantine Finishing I Know This Much Is True
By Shannon Plumb | April 28, 2020
By Shannon Plumb | April 28, 2020
Derek Cianfrance in Quarantine Finishing I Know This Much Is True
Under lockdown, filmmaker Shannon Plumb talks to her husband Derek Cianfrance as he completes his new HBO show with Mark Ruffalo.
A New Beauty
By Shannon Plumb | December 18, 2019
By Shannon Plumb | December 18, 2019
A New Beauty
Shannon Plumb on The Disappearance of My Mother, an intimate portrait of ex-model Benedetta Barzini, and her own brush with the fashion world.
Rolling Thunder Revue and Memories of the Road
By Shannon Plumb | July 16, 2019
By Shannon Plumb | July 16, 2019
Rolling Thunder Revue and Memories of the Road
Watching Scorsese's new Bob Dylan documentary takes filmmaker Shannon Plumb back to the time she left her life behind to go look for America.
The Man with the Brimmed Hat: Remembering Jonas Mekas
By Shannon Plumb | January 28, 2019
By Shannon Plumb | January 28, 2019
The Man with the Brimmed Hat: Remembering Jonas Mekas
Shannon Plumb looks back on the impact the late filmmaker and Anthology Film Archives founder had on her life and career.
The Quiet Magic of Buster Keaton
By Shannon Plumb | October 8, 2018
By Shannon Plumb | October 8, 2018
The Quiet Magic of Buster Keaton
As a Quad retrospective and a new documentary celebrate Buster Keaton, fellow screen clown Shannon Plumb also pays tribute to the silent master.
Cathy
By Shannon Plumb | August 13, 2018
By Shannon Plumb | August 13, 2018
Cathy
For Shannon Plumb, watching Hannah Gadsby's Nanette brings up poignant memories of a teenage friendship.
Dear Hollywood
By Shannon Plumb | June 4, 2018
By Shannon Plumb | June 4, 2018
Dear Hollywood
Shannon Plumb writes a letter to the men running the film industry. She’s got some things to say.
I Went to Black Panther With My Son, and Saw the Future
By Shannon Plumb | March 2, 2018
By Shannon Plumb | March 2, 2018
I Went to Black Panther With My Son, and Saw the Future
Shannon Plumb on the world now, and the world that can be glimpsed in Ryan Coogler's paradigm-shifting box-office behemoth.
I’ve Been a Clown and I’m Terrified of Scary Movies, So Of Course I Saw It
By Shannon Plumb | September 19, 2017
By Shannon Plumb | September 19, 2017
I’ve Been a Clown and I’m Terrified of Scary Movies, So Of Course I Saw It
Shannon Plumb braves her first horror movie in two decades, and ponders how a beloved comic figure became an icon of evil.
Marjorie Prime and Memories of My Father (Still-Living)
By Shannon Plumb | August 23, 2017
By Shannon Plumb | August 23, 2017
Marjorie Prime and Memories of My Father (Still-Living)
Shannon Plumb pens a beautiful, idiosyncratic response to Michael Almereyda's movie about love, death and memory.
Physical Comedy is Thrillingly Alive in Lost in Paris
By Shannon Plumb | June 14, 2017
By Shannon Plumb | June 14, 2017
Physical Comedy is Thrillingly Alive in Lost in Paris
Shannon Plumb finds kindred spirits in the comedy double act of Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel, whose delightful new movie is out this week.
Shannon Plumb (Towheads) Talks with Azazel Jacobs (The Lovers) for the Talkhouse Podcast
By Shannon Plumb | May 11, 2017
By Shannon Plumb | May 11, 2017
Shannon Plumb (Towheads) Talks with Azazel Jacobs (The Lovers) for the Talkhouse Podcast
Two of the most distinctive voices in indie cinema share a bed and a chat from NYC's Ludlow Hotel.
Fighting the Sickness, or Being an Artist in Trump’s America
By Shannon Plumb | February 9, 2017
By Shannon Plumb | February 9, 2017
Fighting the Sickness, or Being an Artist in Trump’s America
Shannon Plumb tries to counter the flu bug sweeping through her household, and to formulate a plan to defeat a much bigger problem.
The Man in the Ring: With Derek Cianfrance in Venice for the Premiere of The Light Between Oceans
By Shannon Plumb | September 14, 2016
By Shannon Plumb | September 14, 2016
The Man in the Ring: With Derek Cianfrance in Venice for the Premiere of The Light Between Oceans
Shannon Plumb on red carpets, press embargoes, critical slapdowns, standing ovations and more, as her husband's new movie premieres on the Lido.
That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore: Looking for Comedy’s Place in the Modern World
By Shannon Plumb | August 1, 2016
By Shannon Plumb | August 1, 2016
That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore: Looking for Comedy’s Place in the Modern World
Filmmaker and actor Shannon Plumb struggles with what direction to take in her work when nothing in the world now seems funny.
Playing Cowboys and Indians in France and the Middle East
By Shannon Plumb | July 13, 2016
By Shannon Plumb | July 13, 2016
Playing Cowboys and Indians in France and the Middle East
Shannon Plumb on Thomas Bidegain's Les Cowboys, which updates the Western for the post-9/11 world.
The Kind of Women You Don’t See in Hollywood Movies Anymore
By Shannon Plumb | May 27, 2016
By Shannon Plumb | May 27, 2016
The Kind of Women You Don’t See in Hollywood Movies Anymore
Shannon Plumb has a singular experience going to the Upper West Side to watch Maggie's Plan, a movie about real, funny, sexy women.
A Fairytale Feast of Feeling, the Saga of the Thorny Bush and Shitting Out Origami Butterflies
By Shannon Plumb | April 26, 2016
By Shannon Plumb | April 26, 2016
A Fairytale Feast of Feeling, the Saga of the Thorny Bush and Shitting Out Origami Butterflies
Shannon Plumb is so enchanted by the profound fables of Matteo Garrone's Tale of Tales that the film permeates her own life...
Shannon Plumb (Towheads) Talks Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth
By Shannon Plumb | December 10, 2015
By Shannon Plumb | December 10, 2015
Shannon Plumb (Towheads) Talks Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth
Being inside the new Sorrentino movie is guaranteed to make you ponder both your past and your present...
Shannon Plumb (Towheads) Talks Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang
By Shannon Plumb | November 19, 2015
By Shannon Plumb | November 19, 2015
Shannon Plumb (Towheads) Talks Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang
When and why did we start treating children like adults? And when did men get so scared of women?
Shannon Plumb (Towheads) Talks Nancy Meyers’ The Intern
By Shannon Plumb | September 30, 2015
By Shannon Plumb | September 30, 2015
Shannon Plumb (Towheads) Talks Nancy Meyers’ The Intern
Some thoughts on Meyers' latest comedy, the elderly, the pleasure of the old school, this generation's hyperactive multi-tasking, and Robert De Niro.
Shannon Plumb (Towheads) Talks Liv Corfixen’s My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
By Shannon Plumb | February 26, 2015
By Shannon Plumb | February 26, 2015
Shannon Plumb (Towheads) Talks Liv Corfixen’s My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
A filmmaker sees strong parallels with her own life in this film that puts a personal spin on the behind-the-scenes documentary.
