Director's Works
NYC Ballet, Alexei Ratmansky's Pictures at an Exhibition Nicholas Bentgen
Wisconsin-born, Brooklyn-bred filmmaker Nicholas Bentgen loves creating stunningly experiential, lived-in worlds. With roots in music videos, commercials, documentary, screenwriting and acting, he has developed a well-rounded understanding of how to ignite a scene. Comfortable operating a camera or performing in front of one, Nicholas’ ability to create an atmosphere of collaboration and intimacy is second nature. From comedic trifles to portraits of rebellious youth to sumptuous documentary epics, Nicholas’ work is wide-ranging in both genre and scope, yet always intentionally crafted and exceptionally human. He is an award-winning director, writer, actor, cinematographer, editor and proud father. His filmmaking has been highlighted by The New York Times, Visions du Reel, Vimeo, The One Club for Creativity and the UKMVAs, among others. His feature screenplay, Dey'Dey and His Brothers is a selection of Berlinale Talents, Sundance Catalyst Forum and Sundance Screenwriters Lab. His latest film, Fourty Pounds recently finished after five years of production. Nicholas continues to be proud of the conversation he filmed between Jay-Z and New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet for T Magazine, his portrait of the youth style collective, #LoveYourz which was featured on Dazed and Director’s Notes, and his first feature documentary, Northern Light which is a Critic's Pick of The New York Times and The Village Voice. Nicholas has created music videos for Sinkane, Small Black, Bear In Heaven and Pitchfork. As a cinematographer, he lensed Daniel Carbone’s feature narrative, Hide Your Smiling Faces (Berlinale / Tribeca); Matt Wolf’s Teenage (Tribeca / Hot Docs) and It’s Me, Hilary (Sundance), as well as portions of Jody Lee Lipes’ Ballet 422 (Tribeca) and Jane Schoenbrun’s collective:unconscious (SXSW). A series of comedy films that he wrote, edited, directed and stars in, is playing festivals now. Though Nicholas may look and sound like the Midwestern boy next door, his eye for affecting moments has been honed by dedicated experience. But it’s his daringly infectious enthusiasm for life, and his belief in our collective power to create that will stick with you.
As current interpreters offer their perspectives on the intricacies of Alexei Ratmansky's Pictures at an Exhibition, the choreographer delves into the origin stories of both the ballet and his career. He shares how, given his upbringing in Kyiv and Soviet ballet training, Pictures at an Exhibition has come to figure in his outspoken solidarity with his homeland.