John Cassavetes, at the dawn of his filmmaking career, is the subject of this portrait. The almost universally imitated father of American independent film, Cassavetes eventually made twelve films, including The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Gloria and A Woman Under the Influence. JOHN CASSAVETES was shot in Los Angeles in 1965, just after Cassavetes completed shooting Faces, and continues in Paris in 1968.

When we meet Cassavetes he has made three films: Shadows, an independent film shot in New York, and two disastrous Hollywood projects. Faces was Cassavetes' response to his Hollywood experience.

While driving a convertible through the canyons of Hollywood he discusses the movie, and at his home in which he filmed and the crew works, we meet the crew and see the start of editing.

Three years later, with Faces finally completed, Cassavetes is in Paris on his way to the Venice Film Festival. He is no longer the same man, rather more mature and introspective. With Gena Rowlands looking on, he discusses American society, and contrasts Shadows, a film about adolescence and hope, with Faces, a film about middle age and disenchantment.

"Recommended! Echoes the cinema verite style of Cassavetes's films themselves by allowing Cassavetes to speak openly about himself, work and passion for an emotionally charged cinema that seeks to visualize the spark among human beings. His joie de vivre and exuberance is omnipresent, and... we learn a great deal about his artistry and ground-breaking style. This portrait of John Cassavetes captures the essence of the filmmaker: his spontaneity, imaginativeness, individualism, and forthrightness."—Educational Media Reviews Online