Albert Maysles,Grey Gardens and Gimme Shelter documentarian, dies at 88

Maysles photo
(Image credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Legendary documentarian Albert Maysles has died at 88.

Maysles' 60-year career as a documentarian began with the short Psychiatry in Russia in 1955. In the decades that followed — and often in collaboration with his brother David — he helmed acclaimed documentaries like Salesman, Gimme Shelter, and Grey Gardens.

In October, Maysles spoke with the Los Angeles Times about his 2014 project Iris, which debuted at the New York Film Festival, preaching the "kindness" he believed a great documentarian must possess. "If you have the ability to connect through empathy, you see how the world changes," he said.

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Maysles' final film, In Transit, will debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in April.

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Scott Meslow

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.