'The Melancholy Lens' is an original study of the films and videos of five major figures of American avant-garde cinema: Maya Deren, Stan Brakhage, Gregory Markopoulos, Robert Beavers, and Ernie Gehr. Unlike other books on these artists, the approach of 'The Melancholy Lens' is to examine the filmic form, imagery, and structures of the selected works in terms of how they reflect, directly or indirectly, consciously or unconsciously, important aspects of the personal and psychological dimensions of each artist, including how each grappled with significant losses in their lives. The author, a film scholar and practicing psychoanalyst, is in a unique position to consider these filmmakers and their work from such a perspective.