Peter Friedman
Biography
Peter Friedman studied film at Hampshire College, where he was a student and protégé of Tom Joslin. They maintained a close friendship long after Friedman graduated and established himself as a documentary filmmaker in New York City. Friedman received an Academy Award® nomination for directing “The Wizard of the String,” a documentary portrait of vaudeville era musician Roy Smeck, and an Emmy® nomination for editing “Flamingo Odyssey” for National Geographic. In 1990, he produced and directed “I Talk to Animals,” a portrait of an animal therapist, which was broadcast in 10 different countries. In 1993, Friedman completed “Silverlake Life: The View From Here” for his mentor Joslin, who passed away during the course of filming. “Silverlake Life” was called “the most honest depiction of AIDS on screen” and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He died on April 3, 2025, in Paris.
Known For & Full Filmography2 Titles
Movie - 1993, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
An extraordinary video diary about living with AIDS documenting, with guts and humor, the love and dedication of longtime companions Tom Joslin and Mark Massi, from the emotional challenge of living with a fatal illness to the frustration of maintaining daily routines,.
Movie - 2012, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
Prior to leaving Hampshire College in 1980, Tom was working on a 16mm film inspired by Jose Arguelles' book, The Transformative Vision: Reflections on the Nature and History of Human Expression. Shot in sync and MOS, the footage reflects Tom's interest in perception, human consciousness, and signaled his evolving interest in fusing non-fiction, experimental and dramatic genres. All the original materials for this unfinished film were stored at the LA home of Ken Levin, another Hampshire College alum who along with several other students, worked with Tom on this project, which he called the Architecture of Mountains.