Albert Maysles (Boston, November 26, 1926 – New York, March 5, 2015) was an American documentary filmmaker and director, considered one of the pioneers of the Direct Cinema movement. Together with his brother David, he revolutionized the documentary genre through a non-interventionist and observational approach, aimed at capturing reality without filters or explicit narration. Among their most influential and celebrated works are *Salesman* (1969), a slice of life about door-to-door salesmen; *Gimme Shelter* (1970), which documents the Rolling Stones' 1969 U.S. tour culminating in the tragic Altamont concert; and the cult film *Grey Gardens* (1975), an intimate portrait of two eccentric relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Their filmography also includes the documentation of the Beatles' first visit to the United States. For his fundamental contribution to culture and cinema, Maysles received numerous awards, culminating in the 2014 National Medal of Arts, the highest civilian honor for an artist in the United States, presented to him by President Barack Obama. His work has profoundly influenced entire generations of filmmakers.