About The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography

The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography is a charming and intimate documentary released in 2017 that centers around the life and career of Elsa Dorfman, a professional photographer from Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's directed by celebrated documentarian Errol Morris. Elsa Dorfman is known for her use of the 20x24 inch large-format Polaroid camera and this documentary looks at the various subjects that she has shot over her decades-long career, including Allen Ginsberg, Andrea Dworkin, and a multitude of families.

Making / Production

The B-Side movie is a distinct and touching product of the passion and energy shared by both Elsa Dorfman and director, Errol Morris, who are both long-time friends. The film provides a close insight into Elsa's remarkable life and work, from her self-portraits to her iconic shots, creating a rich biography inscribed within decades of photographic works.

Actors

• Elsa Dorfman as Herself - A Boston-based portrait photographer, Dorfman is center-stage in this documentary, with her personality and craft brightening up the screen.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• This film is not Errol Morris's first venture into art-related themes. His previous works also include films about an art forger and a lion tamer.
• Elsa Dorfman only uses a specific large-format Polaroid camera, one of only five ever made.
• The retiree started her career in New York City as a secretary but quickly evolved into a prodigious photographer, championing the use of the polaroid camera during its lifetime.

Quotes

• “I somehow fell into doing this kind of large photo. I have no idea why. But I didn’t fall into it, I really sought it out." – Elsa Dorfman
• “I’m interested in the surfaces of people, not their inner lives. I’m not trying to see into your soul." – Elsa Dorfman

Music, Soundtrack

The music in The B-Side is as meaningful and nostalgic as Elsa's photographs, bearing a relative simplicity that complements the nostalgia of Dorfman's catalogue. There are no specific tracks named, the documentary features a host of soft, lilting background scores.