Henry Corra
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Henry John Corra, born 15 November 1955, is an American documentary filmmaker, photographer, and video artist.
Influenced by the direct cinema movement while working with pioneer documentary filmmakers Albert and David Maysles, Henry Corra and his production company, Corra Films, Inc., have become mainstays of the independent film, art, and music culture of downtown New York City.
[edit] Background
Shortly after graduating from Franconia College in 1980, Henry Corra moved to New York City to begin his filmmaking career. In 1982, Corra started working at Maysles Films, Inc. with Albert and David Maysles, pioneers in the direct cinema movement. While at Maysles Films, Inc., Corra directed Public Ed (1986) for CBS, segments of HBO's Swimsuit (1989), and Change of Heart (1992) for PBS's Nova series. His final production for Maysles Films, Inc. was Umbrellas (1994), a documentary telling the story of Christo's famous art project.
In 1994 Corra started his own production company, Corra Films, Inc. Since founding CFI, Corra has directed the documentary features, George (2000) for HBO, Frames (2004), and Same Sex America (2006) for Showtime. Corra has also been singled out as one of the foremost directors of reality-based TV commercials in America.
[edit] Colleagues
Henry Corra has collaborated with notable filmmakers Harmony Korine (Kids, Gummo, Julien Donkey-Boy), Robert Richman (Brother's Keeper, Paradise Lost), and Braden King (Dutch Harbor); artists Grahame Weinbren (Whitney Biennial 1987, Centre Pompidou - Paris) and Anita Thacher (The American Century 1950-1999, The Whitney Museum of American Art; New York Film Festival; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden); musicians such as noted Drag City recording artists Will Oldham and David Pajo as well as mainstays of the downtown experimental music scene: John Zorn, Marc Ribot, Alan Licht, and Corra's own brother, renowned avant-garde cellist, the late Tom Cora.
In 2006 he was assisting Celia Maysles in her documentary about her late father, David, according to her interview on Grey Gardens alumna Lois Wright's LTV show. According to Lois Wright, they are currently dating.
