CinemaNiche Presents: Monk In Pieces

At in Richmond, VA

The boundary-breaking artist Meredith Monk overcame a hostile critical establishment to become one of the great innovators of her generation. In the midst of her latest creation, Indra’s Net, Monk faces mortality: can such singular work be performed without her?

Featuring interviews with Björk and David Byrne, Monk in Pieces is a mosaic that illuminates Monk’s wildly original vocabulary of sound and imagery. The film was an official selection and Teddy Award nominee at the 2025 Berlinale, and is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Directed by Billy Shebar

Running time: 94 Minutes

Teddy Award for Best Documentary
Berlinale (Nominated)

TV3 Award for Best Documentary
DocsBarcelona (Nominated)

Indiemusic Schweppes Award
IndieLisboa (Nominated)

Golden Heynal
Krakow Film Festival (Nominated)

A film by
Billy Shebar

Directed, written, and produced by
Billy Shebar and David Roberts

Producer
Susan Margolin

Co-producers
Katie Geissinger, Sabine Krayenbühl

Executive Producers
Ellynne Skove, Elissa Leonard, Elliott Joseph

Consulting Producers
Jax Deluca, Caroline Libresco, Daniel Polin

Animation
Paul Barritt

Cinematography
Jeff Hutchens, Ben Stechschulte

Editor
Sabine Krayenbühl

Archival Producers
Judy Aley, Vanessa Maruskin

Sound Design
Dominic Bartolini

I first heard Meredith Monk’s music in 1989, when my wife Katie Geissinger joined the cast of ATLAS. It was like nothing I’d ever heard before.

Katie continued to perform in every major Monk work, and as my love of Monk’s music deepened, so did my curiosity about her unique creative process and extraordinary resilience in the face of a fickle, and at times sexist, critical establishment.

Three years ago, Monk opened the doors of the Tribeca loft where she’s been working since 1972 to me and my film crew, allowing us to capture the rhythms of her daily life and the creation of her newest work, Indra’s Net. She also granted me access to a rich archive of film, photos, notebooks, and recordings, affording deep insights into her evolution as an artist. Rather than attempting a comprehensive biopic, I’ve created a mosaic mirroring the structure of Monk’s own work. Each chapter is anchored by a single Monk song and offers a unique window on her life’s work.

The ‘60s counterculture in which Monk found her voice took a stand against racial and gender-based discrimination, consumerism, and the Vietnam War. While her work is not overtly political, it embodies all of these values, and feels as mind-expanding today as it did when she started. Monk’s music has healing power for those who experience it. That, above all, is what motivates her to keep creating, and motivated me to make this film.

-Billy Shebar

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