A pivotal figure in the American avant-garde cinema, Jonas Mekas has been active and influential as a filmmaker, critic, distributor, and champion of independent cinema since the early '60s, and this feature assembles over four hours of home movies from Mekas' personal archives into what he describes as "the ultimate Dogma movie, before the birth of Dogma." As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty offers a long glimpse into the life of Jonas Mekas as he spends time with his wife, his children, and his friends (among them fellow filmmakers Hollis Frampton and P. Adams Sitney) and travels from his home in New York City to various spots around the United States and Europe, all captured with an intimacy and immediacy that the filmmaker regards as more vitally important than a more polished technique. As I Was Moving Ahead... was exhibited at the 2001 Berlin Film Festival as part of their Forum of New Cinema series.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide