The Last Happy Day

The Last Happy Day

color, sound, 38 min
A portrait of a doctor who saw the worst of society and ran. The Last Happy Day is an experimental documentary portrait of Sandor (Alexander) LENARD, A Hungarian medical doctor and a distant cousin of ...
Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
Available for sale: Digital file, DVD NTSC

Stills

About

A portrait of a doctor who saw the worst of society and ran. The Last Happy Day is an experimental documentary portrait of Sandor (Alexander) LENARD, A Hungarian medical doctor and a distant cousin of filmmaker Lynne Sachs. In 1938 Lenard, a writer with a Jewish background, fled the Nazis to a safe haven in Rome. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Army Grave Registration Service hired Lenard to reconstruct the bone – small and large – of dead American soldiers. Eventually he found himself in remotest Brazil where he embarked on the translation of "Winne the Pooh" into Latin, an eccentric task that catapulted him to brief world-wide fame. Sachs' essay film uses personal letters, abstracted war imagery, home movies, interviews, and a childrens's performance to create an intimate meditation on the destructive power of war.

"A fascinating, unconventional approach to a Holocaust-related story...a frequently charming work that makes no effort to disguise an underlying melancholy." - George Robinson, The Jewish Week

Premiere:  New York Film Festival “View from the Avant-Garde” 2009, Black Maria Film Festival Director’s Choice Award; SF Cinematheque; Pacific Film Archive; Hungarian Nat’l TV Broadcast; One of the 10 Best Undistributed Film of 2009 (Film Comment) 

Films

  • Other films by this artist in our catalogue

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    Still Life With Woman and Four Objects
    Experimental

    Still Life With Woman and Four Objects
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm, black and white, sound, 4 min
    Rental formats: 16mm, Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Arts / Artists
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • Structural
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    Drawn and Quartered
    Experimental

    Drawn and Quartered
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm, color, silent, 4 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Body
    • Films About Film
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
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    Following the Object to Its Logical Beginning
    Experimental

    Following the Object to Its Logical Beginning
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm, color, sound, 9 min
    Rental formats: 16mm, Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Arts / Artists
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    Sermons & Sacred Pictures: the life and work of Reverend L.O. Taylor
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Sermons & Sacred Pictures: the life and work of Reverend L.O. Taylor
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm, color and b/w, sound, 29 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • History
    • Political / Social Activism
    • Biography / Autobiography
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    The House of Science: A Museum of False Facts
    Experimental

    The House of Science: A Museum of False Facts
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm, color, sound, 30 min
    Rental formats: 16mm, Digital file, DVD NTSC
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    Which Way Is East
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Which Way Is East
    Lynne Sachs

    DVD, color, sound, 33 min
    Rental formats: 16mm, Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Political / Social Activism
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • Ethnographic
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    A Biography of Lilith
    Documentary
    Experimental
    Narrative

    A Biography of Lilith
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm, color and b/w, sound, 35 min
    Rental formats: 16mm, Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Body
    • Philosophical
    • Biography / Autobiography
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • Spiritual / Mystical
    • Family
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    Window Work
    Experimental

    Window Work
    Lynne Sachs

    video, color, sound, 9 min
    Rental formats: 16mm, Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Body
    • Films About Film
    • Structural
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    Photograph of Wind
    Experimental

    Photograph of Wind
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm, color and b/w, sound, 4 min
    Rental formats: 16mm, Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Body
    • Hand-Processed
    • Children / Youth
    • Family
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    Investigation of a Flame
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Investigation of a Flame
    Lynne Sachs

    color, sound, 45 min
    Rental formats: 16mm, Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • History
    • Philosophical
    • Political / Social Activism
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    First Steps in a Terra Incognita
    Experimental

    First Steps in a Terra Incognita
    Lynne Sachs

    video, color, sound, 4 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
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    Tornado
    Experimental

    Tornado
    Lynne Sachs

    video, color, sound, 4 min
    Rental format: Digital file
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    A Collection of Films on DVD Exploring Women, Culture, Science & Myth by Lynne Sachs Vol. 1
    Experimental

    A Collection of Films on DVD Exploring Women, Culture, Science & Myth by Lynne Sachs Vol. 1
    Lynne Sachs

    DVD, color and b/w, sound, 65 min
    Rental format: DVD NTSC
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    States of UnBelonging
    Documentary
    Experimental

    States of UnBelonging
    Lynne Sachs

    color, sound, 63 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • History
    • Political / Social Activism
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • Ethnographic
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    Noa, Noa
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Noa, Noa
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm , color and b/w, sound, 8 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • Children / Youth
    • Family
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    Atalanta: 32 Years Later
    Animation
    Experimental

    Atalanta: 32 Years Later
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm, color, sound, 5 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Found Footage
    • Spiritual / Mystical
    • LGBT / Queer
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    Lynne Sachs: 10 Short Films Vol.3
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Lynne Sachs: 10 Short Films Vol.3
    Lynne Sachs

    color, sound, 62 min
    Rental format: DVD NTSC
    • Body
    • Arts / Artists
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • Found Footage
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    The Small Ones
    Documentary
    Experimental

    The Small Ones
    Lynne Sachs

    Digital, color, sound, 3 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • History
    • Political / Social Activism
    • Found Footage
    • Abstract
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    Georgic for a Forgotten Planet
    Experimental

    Georgic for a Forgotten Planet
    Lynne Sachs

    color, sound, 8 min
    Rental format: DVD NTSC
    • Landscape / Architecture
    • Environment / Nature
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
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    Cuadro por Cuadro/ Frame by Frame
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Cuadro por Cuadro/ Frame by Frame
    Lynne Sachs

    color, sound, 8 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Films About Film
    • Found Footage
    • Hand-Processed
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    The Task of the Translator
    Documentary
    Experimental

    The Task of the Translator
    Lynne Sachs

    color, sound, 10 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • History
    • Philosophical
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    Wind in Our Hair (Con viento en el pelo)
    Experimental
    Narrative

    Wind in Our Hair (Con viento en el pelo)
    Lynne Sachs

    color, sound, 42 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Children / Youth
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    Sound of a Shadow
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Sound of a Shadow
    Lynne Sachs

    color, sound, 10 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Landscape / Architecture
    • Environment / Nature
    • Ethnographic
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    Same Stream Twice
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Same Stream Twice
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm, color and b/w, silent, 4 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Body
    • Philosophical
    • Children / Youth
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    Your Day is My Night
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Your Day is My Night
    Lynne Sachs

    color, sound, 65 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • History
    • Landscape / Architecture
    • Music
    • Literarature / Theater
    • Ethnographic
    • Hand-Processed
    • Dance
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    Drift and Bough
    Experimental

    Drift and Bough
    Lynne Sachs

    black and white, sound, 6 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC, super8
    • Landscape / Architecture
    • Environment / Nature
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    Starfish Aorta Colossus
    Experimental

    Starfish Aorta Colossus
    Lynne Sachs

    color, sound, 5 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Landscape / Architecture
    • Films About Film
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
  • Read More
    Viva and Felix Growing Up
    Documentary

    Viva and Felix Growing Up
    Lynne Sachs

    black and white, sound, 10 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
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    Day Residue
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Day Residue
    Lynne Sachs

    Super 8mm , color, silent, 3 min
    Rental format: Digital file
    • Biography / Autobiography
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • Abstract
    • Family
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    And Then We Marched
    Documentary
    Experimental

    And Then We Marched
    Lynne Sachs

    16mm and Super 8mm , color, silent, 3 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • History
    • Political / Social Activism
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    Tip of My Tongue
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Tip of My Tongue
    Lynne Sachs

    HD Video, color, sound, 80 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • History
    • Philosophical
    • Arts / Artists
    • Biography / Autobiography
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
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    A Year in Notes and Numbers
    Documentary
    Experimental

    A Year in Notes and Numbers
    Lynne Sachs

    digital file, color, silent, 4 min
    Rental format: Digital file
    • Biography / Autobiography
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
  • Read More
    Carolee, Barbara and Gunvor
    Documentary
    Experimental

    Carolee, Barbara and Gunvor
    Lynne Sachs

    digital file , color, sound, 9 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • Body
    • Arts / Artists
    • Cameraless / Handmade
    • Biography / Autobiography
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    The Washing Society
    Documentary
    Experimental

    The Washing Society
    Lynne Sachs

    HD Video, color, sound, 44 min
    Rental formats: Digital file, DVD NTSC
    • History
    • Political / Social Activism
    • Economics
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    A Month of Single Frames
    Documentary
    Experimental

    A Month of Single Frames
    Lynne Sachs

    digital file, color, sound, 14 min
    Rental format: Digital file
    • Environment / Nature
    • Films About Film
    • Arts / Artists
    • Biography / Autobiography
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • LGBT / Queer
  • Read More
    Orange Glow
    Experimental

    Orange Glow
    Lynne Sachs

    digital file, color, sound, 1.26 min
    Rental format: Digital file
    • Arts / Artists
  • Read More
    Visit to Bernadette Mayer’s Childhood Home
    Experimental

    Visit to Bernadette Mayer’s Childhood Home
    Lynne Sachs

    digital file, black and white, sound, 3 min
    Rental format: Digital file
    • Arts / Artists
    • Biography / Autobiography
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    Girl is Presence
    Experimental

    Girl is Presence
    Lynne Sachs

    digital file, color, sound, 4 min
    Rental format: Digital file
    • Arts / Artists
  • Read More
    E•pis•to•lar•y: letter to Jean Vigo
    Experimental

    E•pis•to•lar•y: letter to Jean Vigo
    Lynne Sachs

    digital file, black and white, sound, 5 min
    Rental format: Digital file
    • History
    • Political / Social Activism
    • Films About Film
    • Arts / Artists
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • Found Footage
    • Minimal / Conceptual
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    Maya at 24
    Experimental

    Maya at 24
    Lynne Sachs

    digital file, color, sound, 4 min
    Rental format: Digital file
    • Body
    • Arts / Artists
    • Personal / Diary / Journal
    • Children / Youth
  • Read More
    Swerve
    Experimental

    Swerve
    Lynne Sachs

    digital and S8mm, color, sound, 8 min
    Rental format: Digital file
    • Philosophical
    • Political / Social Activism
    • Arts / Artists
    • Personal / Diary / Journal