Jonas Mekas

Jonas Mekas was a visionary Lithuanian-American author, filmmaker, and poet, widely regarded as the godfather of avant-garde cinema in the United States. Born in 1922 in Semeniškiai, Lithuania, he fled Soviet and Nazi occupations during World War II, eventually immigrating to the U.S. in 1949. Settling in New York City, Mekas became a central figure in the underground art scene, co-founding Film Culture magazine and the Anthology Film Archives, one of the world's largest repositories of avant-garde film.

As an author, Mekas published numerous works blending memoir, poetry, and diary-like reflections. His best-known book, I Had Nowhere to Go, is a haunting yet lyrical chronicle of exile, displacement, and artistic awakening. Mekas wrote with intimacy and spontaneity, mirroring the freeform style of his films. He believed in documenting the everyday, saying, “In the very smallest things, we find the biggest.” His writing, like his cinema, was a celebration of fleeting moments, human resilience, and the power of memory.

Jonas Mekas’s quotes reflect his profound belief in art as a form of survival and joy. One of his most powerful statements is: “I am not a filmmaker. I am a filmer, I film, I make home movies — even when they are shown in theaters.” Another gem: “Happiness consists of living each day as if it were the first day of your honeymoon and the last day of your vacation.” His work and words continue to inspire artists, writers, and thinkers to embrace spontaneity, cherish the ephemeral, and honor the personal as a form of art.