Films

The legendary and enigmatic Andy Kaufman was a comedian like no other, known for his boundary-pushing acts and staunch belief that a joke didn’t need to be funny, but always needed to have something to say. From his breakout on Saturday Night Live to a brief stint as a wrestler, up to an untimely death that sparked rumors of an elaborate hoax, his career blurred the lines between performance and augmented reality. 

Award-winning documentarian and Charlottesville native Clay Tweel (Gleason, The Bitter Pill) assembles these fragmented pieces into a mesmerizing puzzle of Kaufman’s inner world. Carefully blending intimate interviews with family and friends—including Michael and Carol Kaufman, David Letterman, Carol Kane, and Tim Heidecker—troves of archival footage, and even marionette interpretations of his surrealist writings, Andy Kaufman Is Me is a properly creative reckoning with an artist who’s life, legacy and contradictions remain equally elusive and fascinating to this day.

Discussion with director Clay Tweel

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This film will be presented with Open Captions visible on screen. For more information, visit VAFF Accessibility.