For over 70 years, Lithuanian filmmaker Jonas Mekas documented his life in what came to be known as his diary films. From his arrival in New York City in 1949 to his death in 2019, he chronicled the trauma and loss of exile while pioneering institutions to support the growth of independent film in the United States. The documentary looks at his life and work, constructed from thousands of hours of his own video and film diaries— including never-before-seen recordings, and include statements from filmmakers such as Peter Bogdanovich, John Waters, and Martin Scorsese.

Winner the Venice Classics Award for best documentary on cinema at the Venice Film Festival.