Alexandr Hackenschmied

Alexandr Hackenschmied, born Alexander Siegfried George Hackenschmied, known later as Alexander Hammid (17 December 1907 – 26 July 2004), was a Czech-American photographer, film director, cinematographer and film editor. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1938 and became involved in American avant-garde cinema. He is best known for three films: ''Crisis'' (1939), ''Meshes of the Afternoon'' (1943) and ''To Be Alive!'' (1964). He made ''Meshes of the Afternoon'' with Maya Deren, to whom he was married from 1942 to 1947. His second marriage was to the photographer Hella Heyman, who had also collaborated with Hammid and Deren on several films.

He won the 1965 Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) for ''To Be Alive!'' (1964), which he co-directed with Francis Thompson.

Born in Linz, Austria-Hungary to the son of a school-teacher, he changed his name to Alexander Hammid when he became a citizen of the United States in 1942. He is best known for his work in documentary film, both as a director, cameraman, and editor. Provided by Wikipedia