Sister Wendy Beckett

A truly magnificent, entertaining, illuminating and informative document, celebrating the artistry, ideology, long life and unbreakable spirit of the magnificently radiant and productive artist and centenarian Beatrice Wood, chronicling her varied and distinguished history and fascinating experiences, relationships, and inventions. Never having heard a thing about this magnificent woman or her beautifully colorful and sought-after pottery pieces prior to plopping a video cassette I had just paid fifty cents for into a VCR, by the time the documentary had ended, I felt as though I had ALWAYS known and loved Miss Wood and that the two of us had been the very best of friends! Watching this wonderful film gave me a full history of things I'd not known anything about prior to viewing, which I now harbour feelings of incredible love, interest and affection for and an even more intense and sincere appreciation of and for the late maestro and her insanely beautiful creations of pottered color, culture, humor and emotion of which she was so noted and most famous for creating in the second half of her impressively long life.... Alongside Ric Burns fantastic American Experience episode `Coney Island', `Beatrice Wood - Mama of Dada' is undoubtedly one of my very favorite and most beloved of documentaries I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. **** four stars, Sister Wendy Beckett, 2000