As the annual Oscar buzz heats up, film buffs have a unique opportunity to enjoy an insider's view of movie making. Seen Behind the Scenes, an exhibition of Mary Ellen Mark's photographs made on location over the last 40 years, is currently on view at New York's Staley-Wise Gallery.

But these are not production stills in any sense of the word. Mark, the consumate documentarian, has created intimate portrayals of iconic figures working with some of the greatest filmmakers of the time, and stunning views of what goes into pulling off a film like Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" (1976).

Left: Mary Ellen Mark on the set of "Apocalypse Now" in 1976; copyright Dean Tavoularis. Right: Sean Penn in his dressing room in 1983; copyright Mary Ellen Mark. Courtesy of Staley-Wise Gallery.

What began as a commercial assignment she took to pay the bills in 1968 has become something of a time capsule representing the more than 100 films she subsequently shot on location. In a recent interview for The New York Times, Mark said that in the early days she could walk onto a set and speak directly to cast and crew.

The personal connection she made with her subjects, from Federico Fellini to Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci and Tim Burton, results in compelling portrayals that are now nearly impossible to get, given the way film stars are isolated by their handlers.

Among the personalities she encountered are Catherine Deneuve and Francois Turffaut filming "Mississippi Mermaid" (1969); Dennis Hopper on the set of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1974); and Nicole Kidman on location for "Australia" (2007), to name a few.

On the set of "Fellini - Satyricon" (1969), she captured a wrangler readying horses for a shot as extras wander around in the background. The mythic quality of the image creates a surreal connection with Pompeii before Vesuvius erupted. At the wedding of Candice Bergen and Louis Malle in 1980, she snapped the couple in an embrace that makes most romantic film stills pale by comparison. And a shot of Melanie Griffith at age 15, with the young Don Johnson on the set of "Night Moves" (1973), evokes the pain and pleasure of a teenage crush.

EXTENDED - Mary Ellen Mark: Seen Behind the Scenes continues through February 28^th at Staley-Wise Gallery, 560 Broadway, New York, NY. 212-66-6223. Please check the website for information. Signed copies of the book of the same title (Phaidon 2008) are available at the gallery.

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