
©Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival.
In 1974, photographer Peter Hujar sat down with his friend, writer Linda Rosenkrantz, to tell her everything he did the day before, part of a planned book by Rosenkrantz speaking with all her well-connected friends about their daily lives. The book didn’t end up happening and apparently the tape of their conversation was lost too, but the recent discovery of a transcript of the recording led to the making of Peter Hujar’s Day, a reenactment of that lengthy discussion about plenty of things and, more often than not, nothing at all.
Hujar (Ben Whishaw) sits down facing Rosenkrantz (Rebecca Hall), detailing everything he can remember about the preceding twenty-four hours. Among its highlights are a visit to Allen Ginsberg’s home, where he considered whether or not to chime in when the eccentric poet mentioned certain people and add that he had previously photographed them, and not one but two naps. He’s not entirely sure of all the specifics, like whether he kept his clothes on for one nap or then got dressed again when he woke up, and at certain moments, he goes back a little to add in something that he had forgotten, whether or not if it’s of consequence.
This is an intriguing experiment of how the mundane can become inherently interesting, and that’s what does happen here. Rosenkrantz can’t know before she speaks with Hujar and others whether they’ll have anything worthwhile to share or if she’ll have to forgo including him or someone else (ultimately, of course, the book didn’t get published at all). Hujar notes early on in his monologue that it’s possible that he’s spent more time telling part of the story than the person he’s referencing actually spent with him, and there are times at which he seems done with one particular thought and Rosenkrantz brings him back to where he stopped, seemingly to make sure that audiences are paying attention and think that it’s worthwhile in case they’ve allowed their minds to drift.
Writer-director Ira Sachs returns to Sundance with a remarkably different feature from his most recent effort shown at the festival, 2023’s Passages, which also starred Whishaw. That film, which dealt with a complicated three-way relationship, was fully fiction and set in many locations with a handful of supporting players. This film features just two characters on screen, reading mostly from a script based in reality but adding considerable dramatic flourishes to ensure it remains engaging. They move around to different parts of the building and even outside on a few occasions, with Rosenkrantz’s reliable tape recorder accompanying them at every turn.
Loud operatic music blares at several times throughout this film, heightening the drama before fading away almost immediately. It’s an unexplained choice that does interrupt the flow of Hujar’s ramblings but serves to jolt audiences back to what’s happening. Each interlude from Rosenkrantz is also quite welcome, making it so that Hujar isn’t just talking to a wall and offering her own commentary on what he’s sharing, some of which is familiar to her and some of which feels quite foreign and strange. This isn’t just about Hujar’s day, but it’s a conversation between two friends where one does much more of the talking.
Given that this film’s script is based on a dialogue that actually happened from which only audio was recorded, it’s ironic to think that, without the visual medium of film, it would be almost impossible to discern who was voicing these characters. Both Whishaw and Hall are English but put on seamless American accents to portray these people, giving them unmistakable personality and adding a great deal each time the camera chooses to focus on them, particularly when the other is talking, as their eyes move and they shift their seated positions. Hujar’s day may not be all that spectacular or breathtaking, but this 76-minute dramatization is surprisingly interesting and rewarding, even if those watching have never heard of either protagonist.
Grade: B+
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Peter Hujar’s Day makes its world premiere in the Premieres section at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.