Archive · 3 Jan 2026
Peter Hujar’s Day: A Cinematic Snapshot of 1970s NYC
Peter Hujar’s Day is a movie about a famous photographer named Peter Hujar.
The film shows a day in his life, exactly as he remembered it in a 1974 interview.
The interview was with a writer named Linda Rosenkrantz, who asked Hujar to tell her everything that happened the day before, from the moment he woke up until he went to sleep.
The movie is special because it shows all the little details of Hujar’s day, like what he ate, where he went, and who he talked to.
It also shows how he thought about his friends and the world around him.
The director, Ira Sachs, made the movie look like it was from the 1970s, with simple and natural lighting.
The film has been nominated for several awards, and it’s a way to remember the creative and exciting time in New York City’s history.
Peter Hujar’s Day is a film based on a 1974 interview transcript of photographer Peter Hujar recounting his day in detail.
The film stars Ben Whishaw as Peter Hujar and Rebecca Hall as writer Linda Rosenkrantz.
It was directed by Ira Sachs and premiered at Sundance before being released in early November 2023.
The movie has received five Independent Spirit Awards nominations and a USC Scripter Award nomination.
Shot on 16mm film with a 4:3 aspect ratio, the film emphasizes naturalistic lighting and simple elegance to underscore the honesty of artists.
- Who
- Peter Hujar (photographer), Linda Rosenkrantz (writer), Ira Sachs (director)
- What
- A film based on a 1974 interview transcript of Peter Hujar recounting his day in detail
- When
- December 18, 1974 (events), Early November 2023 (release)
- Where
- New York City, Lower East Side
- Why
- To capture the life and creative process of Peter Hujar, a pioneering photographer, and to explore the everyday moments of artists in the 1970s
- Film Title
- Peter Hujar’s Day
- Director
- Ira Sachs
- Starring
- Ben Whishaw, Rebecca Hall
- Based On
- 1974 interview transcript
- Release Date
- Early November 2023
- Awards
- 5 Independent Spirit Awards nominations, USC Scripter Award nomination
- Filming Style
- 16mm film, 4:3 aspect ratio, naturalistic lighting