Vivian Maier mystery : „Finding Vivian Maier“ / film screening

Vivian Maier’s story is one of the most remarkable in the history of photography.

For nearly 40 years, while working as a nanny, she walked the streets of New York and Chicago with a camera around her neck, taking it wherever life was unfolding: into the everyday rhythm of the city, among passers-by, fleeting encounters and ordinary moments.

A quiet observer, Maier captured the street life of New York and Chicago from the 1950s through the 1980s with an extraordinary instinct, offering a unique glimpse into everyday life in post-war America.

Her vast archive, comprising more than 120,000 negatives, home-made documentary films and audio recordings, was only discovered after her death. This chance discovery revealed the extraordinary scope and talent of her work and brought the previously unknown Maier into the ranks of the most significant street photographers of the 20th century.

The unexpected emergence of a body of work that had remained hidden from the world for decades opened one of the most mysterious and remarkable chapters in the history of photography. The documentary Finding Vivian Maier (USA, 2013) tells this story, following the accidental discovery of Maier’s work while also attempting to unravel the mystery of the photographer herself.

For a more layered experience, combine your film and exhibition visit by purchasing a combo ticket. This gives you the opportunity to visit the Vivian Maier exhibition before or after the screening and experience her story both on screen and in the gallery.

17 October: Screening at Sõprus Cinema

The film will be screened in English without Estonian subtitles.

With a combo ticket, your exhibition ticket is valid for a visit to Fotografiska between 19 September and 30 November 2026. The exhibition ticket included in the combo is available at a reduced price compared to a regular exhibition ticket.

To enter the exhibition, simply show your cinema ticket at the Fotografiska ticket desk. If needed or preferred, you can use the lift to move between floors.

24 November: Screening at Fotografiska

The film will be screened in the cinema space on Fotografiska’s 1st floor. The film is in English without Estonian subtitles.

Arrive a little earlier if you’d like to pick up a drink or something to eat from the café before the screening.

If you purchase a combo ticket, you can also visit the Vivian Maier exhibition on the same evening, either before or after the film, as well as Fotografiska’s other current exhibitions. If needed or preferred, you can use the lift to move between floors.

Finding Vivian Maier, USA, 2013

Finding Vivian Maier
Directors: Charles Siskel, John Maloof
Running time: 1h 23 min
Language: English

Vivian Maier was a nanny with a secret passion. She loved walking the streets, observing her surroundings and capturing what she saw with her camera. She showed her photographs to almost no one. A deeply private and solitary woman, Maier’s closest companions were the children she cared for and her camera.

Maier’s vast collection of photographs only came to light relatively recently, when John Maloof accidentally acquired part of the archive at an auction. Astonished by what he found in the negatives, he began investigating the identity of the talented photographer behind them.

The film brings together people Maier worked for and others who encountered her throughout her life, gradually revealing a life story that is as enigmatic as it is, at times, unsettling. Yet her intensely private nature raises a compelling question throughout: would Vivian Maier herself have wanted this much attention focused on her life and her work?

Vivian Maier Unseen Work, 19 September – 17 January

Few stories in photography are as remarkable as that of Vivian Maier. Working as a nanny in New York and Chicago, she explored the city streets with the children in her care, camera always at hand. From this unique position, she captured the rhythms, characters, and unexpected moments that define urban life.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, she created a striking visual portrait of post-war America – one that remained hidden for decades. Discovered only after her death, Maier’s photographs have since secured her place among the greatest street photographers of the twentieth century.