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It’s very likely every footprint left in South Philadelphia belongs to someone who knows Isaiah Zagar. If not by name or face, then by the signature works he’s peppered throughout the area since moving here in the 1960s.
Taking a stroll through any local neighborhood inevitably includes the sun’s reflection on the pieces of glass, mirror and broken tile embedded in walls Zagar has lovingly and meticulously crafted. He is the mastermind behind more than 100 mosaic murals in South Philly’s streets and alleys and on the sides of buildings.
After March 9, it’s likely there will be folks who have never even set foot in Pennsylvania who will associate the white-haired, soft-spoken resident of the 800 block of South Street with his art. That date marks the world premiere of "In A Dream." The 78-minute documentary filmed by Zagar’s son, Jeremiah, over the last seven years will play at the 15th-annual South by Southwest Music, Film and Interactive Conferences and Festivals in Austin, Texas, which runs March 7 to 15.
The film is raw and emotional, tracing half a decade of the family’s life, including the weekend mural workshops Zagar holds several times a year at his workspace on the 1000 block of South Street for the public, as well as family gatherings and the ups and downs of Isaiah’s marriage of more than four decades to his wife and Jeremiah’s mother, Julia.
At first, now-26-year-old Jeremiah simply set out to film his father at his mother’s suggestion while he was studying filmmaking at Emerson College in Boston. It was her prodding that gave birth to what would become the documentary and Jeremiah points to Julia as a major influence that carried him through the years of filming.
"I had no idea that it was going to turn out to be a film. I was basically just filming my father," he said.
Added Isaiah, "As a film director, he was looking for a story to tell that will keep people interested, that will make someone talk about it, relate it to their own lives, say to their friends and family and others, ‘You must see this movie.’ When he said he knew he wanted to make a film, this was a commitment. It’s exhilarating and exhausting at the same time."
The filming process began when the father and son took a trip to the family’s cabin in West Virginia in 2000. Jeremiah said to his father, "Tell me all of your secrets." Isaiah said he had none. But eventually, with the camera pointed in his face, Isaiah began to open up. The eye-opening experience allowed the son — who said viewers would have to wait until the film to know his father’s secrets — to see a completely different side of his parent.
"I think every child, every son, has this desire to see his father as an equal at some part in life, and I would say that was the beginning of that path toward that relationship," Jeremiah said.
From there, Jeremiah said he knew he had tapped into something, but wasn’t sure what the premise of the film would be. He moved to New York City and began assembling a team of producers and cinematographers from colleagues and friends — including producer Jeremy Yaches, who co-founded Herzliya Films with Jeremiah — and returned to the area every time there was an event.
"We would film anytime anything would happen. Whether it was bar mitzvah, a mural workshop, a big dinner at my family’s house, anything," Jeremiah said.
Jeremiah also shot footage of his father’s work. To capture the grandeur of Isaiah’s pieces, Jeremiah used a 35mm camera, rather than a digital, to better showcase the murals’ depth and image.
Then, two years ago while shooting brother Ezekiel’s return from a substance abuse treatment facility, an unexpected confession shook the family’s core, and Jeremiah had his premise.
"When I went home to film, my father admitted to having a [then-current] affair on film. The next morning, my mother locked him out of the house, and my dad had a nervous breakdown," Jeremiah said.
This sent the family in a new direction, which included counseling, therapy and the opportunity to get to know each other better. Both Isaiah and Julia said, at first, it was strange to have so much of their lives on camera, but after awhile it became second nature to have a crew of a few people around, and eventually to see it on celluloid wasn’t bothersome or weird.
"We had been working it out between ourselves way before we saw it on film," Julia, 68, said of the struggles they faced after Isaiah’s breakdown. "It wasn’t hard, it was a reality. I learned that we weren’t such a perfect family. It actually made us much closer, things were out in the open, we didn’t have to cover anything up."
Filming wrapped a few weeks ago, and no one has seen it in its entirety. Sunday’s showing will be the first for the family, producers and audiences alike.
All admit they are anxious for the premiere. Father and son will be at the festival, while Julia will be en route to Peru for her work as co-owner of Eyes Gallery, 402 South St. According to Jeremiah, more than 3,000 films were submitted for the festival and only 150 were chosen for screenings.
Julia said she is probably more nervous for the local premiere at the Philadelphia Film Festival this month as the family is fairly well-known in the area since having lived here since ’66, first on 10th Street between South and Bainbridge streets and now on South.
Isaiah’s work was first seen in ’68 after a three-year stint in the Peace Corps where he and his wife traveled to Peru and brought back thousands of pounds of folk art that served as the inspiration for his first mosaic. The first mural is on the back of Eyes Gallery and can only be seen by looking out the skylight, as it’s on an enclosed patio.
He continued his work — which is always pro bono — when he was commissioned by nearby residents and businesses. In the beginning, he did murals in alleyways where he would not be bothered or questioned. Now, it’s those same alleys — like at 1003 Kater St. and 800 Pemberton St. — people flock to from all over the world to see what he left behind.
"People from other parts of the world follow the trail of mystery," he said of the murals dotting the area tourists often stop and ask locals about. "It’s a very cloistered neighborhood, South Philly, but the people who live [here] interact with the world. This is where I live! I pass my art all the time, what a pleasure."
Isaiah said there’s no theme or common thread between pieces, rather the murals are a stream of consciousness. They begin with cement "blobs" and three-dimensional objects, like chess pieces, plates, glass bottles and folk art. These are glued and screwed sporadically around the space, followed by drawings on the wall of what Isaiah feels is taking shape, completed with glued-on tiles, glass and mirrors. Each piece takes however long it needs to, Isaiah said, adding there’s no timeframe. He creates smaller pieces for sale and has large installations that are better suited to museums, although none have asked him to exhibit. But it’s the Magic Garden outside his workspace at 1020-22 South St. that gains the most attention. Last weekend, it pulled in more than 280 visitors who marveled at the intricate mosaics, studio space and the legend Isaiah has created. He asks for a $3 donation per visitor to the garden, which is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, and this allows him to continue his art.
"The way people’s eyes and whole being changes when they’re in the garden — it’s wonderful and magical to be a part of it," he said.
And the whole family is hoping for the same reaction this weekend in Texas — despite not knowing what to expect.
"The scary things are the best things. If you’re not frightened, if it doesn’t make you anxious, it’s probably not worth doing," Jeremiah said.
To contact Staff Writer Caitlin Meals, e-mail cmeals@southphillyreview.com or call ext. 117.
