Directed by: John Palmer, David Weisman
Stars: Edie Sedgwick, Wesley Hayes, Isabel Jewell
Language: English
Country: Usa | Imdb Info
Also known as:
Description: Ciao Manhattan is an experimental film blending documentary-style storytelling with a fragmented narrative that captures the tragic downfall of Edie Sedgwick, a Warhol superstar of the 1960s. The film follows Susan (played by Sedgwick), a former model and underground film star who has retreated to her mother’s home for treatment. Struggling with addiction and mental deterioration, Susan’s life is a chaotic blur of past and present.
The story unfolds through a mix of black-and-white footage from 1967, originally intended for an unfinished project, and later color sequences filmed in an attempt to piece together a complete narrative. As Susan wanders through the remnants of her former life, she is picked up while hitchhiking half-naked by a young Texan drifter named Butch (Wesley Hayes), who is later hired by Susan’s mother to look after her troubled daughter.
The film shifts between past and present, interweaving psychedelic imagery, underground culture, and surreal sci-fi elements. Featuring appearances from Warhol Factory regulars like Paul America, Baby Jane Holzer, Brigid Berlin, and Viva, along with Beat poet Allen Ginsberg and filmmaker Roger Vadim, Ciao Manhattan offers a haunting, fragmented glimpse into the excesses and collapse of 1960s counterculture. A visually striking and deeply melancholic exploration of fame, addiction, and lost identity, the film remains a cult favorite for those fascinated by Warhol’s Factory scene and its impact on underground art movements.
P.S.: You can also see all the lost footage of the original film in the other tab (commentary with co-directors John Palmer and David Weisman, and actor Wesley Hayes)
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