Sunday, March 15, 2 pm, Chrysler Museum of Art
Few works have transformed Holocaust storytelling as profoundly as the graphic novel Maus. When Art Spiegelman won the 1992 Pulitizer Prize, it was the first time a graphic novel earned that honor, signaling a cultural shift in the literary world, and new manner to convey memory, trauma, and history. Art Spiegelman: Disaster is my Muse is a documentary that explores the mind of Spiegelman, the artist who reshaped Holocaust literature and brought the graphic novel genre into public view. Art Spiegelman: Disaster is my Muse, is presented by the Chrysler Museum of Art in partnership with the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film and the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
Through archival footage, interviews, and behind-the-scenes access, the documentary examines Spiegelman’s creative process, artistic influences, and the personal history that informs his work.
Published in two volumes beginning in the 1980s, Maus recounts Spiegelman’s father’s experiences during the Holocaust, portraying Jews as mice and Nazis as cats in a stark black-and-white visual style. Its impact extended beyond literary recognition, elevating the graphic novel form and expanding public understanding of how visual storytelling can convey complex historical trauma.
The documentary situates Maus within the broader arc of Spiegelman’s career, highlighting his experimentation in underground comics, his commentary on contemporary events, and his ongoing engagement with themes of catastrophe and memory. The film also addresses the complexities of his identity as the child of Holocaust survivors and how that generational inheritance shaped both his artistic voice and his lifelong engagement with history.
Following the screening, the documentary’s co-directors will participate in a discussion about the making of the film and the challenges of portraying Spiegelman on screen. Known for his intellectual rigor and unflinching perspectives, Spiegelman emerges in the film as an artist deeply influenced by personal and collective trauma, yet continually pushing the boundaries of his work.
Tickets for the screening are included for all full festival pass holders. Additional information is available at Jewishva.org/Muse.