Burroughs: The Movie
Howard Brookner · 1983
Howard Brookner’s 1983 documentary Burroughs: The Movie is the only film made with William S. Burroughs’ full participation during his lifetime. Shot over five years with Tom DiCillo and sound by Jim Jarmusch, it traces Burroughs’ life through interviews, location footage, and quiet observation—no narration, no re-enactments, no interpretive framing. The film premiered at the 1983 New York Film Festival and aired as part of BBC Arena. Restored in 2012, it remains a rare, unvarnished portrait of a writer whose life and work resist easy summary.