CAPTURING REALITY: The Art of Documentary

[Johann]

Great film on the art of making a documentary film.

Loaded with clips from great docs like Grey Gardens, Little Dieter Needs To Fly, The Thin Blue Line (a movie that got someone out of jail!), Manufacturing Consent, The Fog of War and others.
Filmmakers talk about the forces at work when making a documentary film, such as "In science, you have to be very open-minded. Very important to making a documentary".

They talk about being inspired by the moment, the freest way to make films, relating in a space, (like dancing).
They discuss the "SUPER REAL", forcing people to examine themselves, story, characters. Unfolding in tandem.
They talk about how reality isn't handed to us whole. In documentaries, it's emotion not intellect, is what's aimed for. Filmmakers discuss how documentary film is an "emotional medium"and how it's about talking people through an emotional experience a lot of the time, no discourse, just emotional engagement. Very illuminating film this is, by Pepita Ferrari. (strange name there..)

I love the interview clips with Werner Herzog the most. Here's a quote:

"I'm searching for not just the facts, but something which gives deeper insight into an essence, into concentration of something that is way beyond facts and that is truth, that is ecstasy, "Ecstatic Truth" as I sometimes call it.
Because sometimes facts are just not interesting enough.
If you want facts, go and buy yourself a phone directory of Manhattan.
You've got 8 million entries and they are all correct. They are all facts.
But they do not constitute anything."

[Chris Knipp]

Didn't know about this one. You don't give any of the necessary information, though. No date, no director's name, even. Basic who why what where and when info is really very much needed in mentions like this, Johan

One can watch it online here: http://films.nfb.ca/capturing-reality/

Capturing Reality (2008) - IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1543299/)

Director:
Pepita Ferrari

Apparently the film consists of short talking head speeches by many filmmakers. Your mention of a few most notable ones is quite misleading. A review (http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/39084/capturing-reality-the-art-of-documentary/) on DVD Talk reveals what sounds like a basic weakness of the film: its shallow, overly broad approach:
Having reviewed well over one hundred documentaries for DVD Talk, and many others elsewhere, I've had plenty of opportunity to reflect on what makes for an engaging documentary. One thing that most definitely doesn't is too many talking heads covering too many topics in too little time. Take for example Cinematographer Style (2006) in which director Jon Fauer interviews 110 cinematographers in 86 minutes about their craft. Not only is each cinematographer given less than a minute of total screen time on average, but most reappear multiple times, necessitating that each segment be only a few seconds. With so many taking heads presented in so little time, the sound bite observations necessarily came off as inconsequential, shallow, repetitive, or artificially constructed through the editing process. Any attempt by the viewer to distinguish one cinematographer's style or personality from another quickly fails with so many faces whizzing past.

With 33 documentary filmmakers interviewed in 97 minutes about their craft, Pepita Ferrari's Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary doesn't offend to the degree that Cinematographer Style does, but it's still too many talking heads in too little time, covering too much ground. Capturing Reality covers eighteen topics ranging from the nuts and bolts of documentary filmmaking to ontological questions about the nature of reality and ethical questions about its representation through the medium of documentary film.

Almost all of Ferrari's interviewees, from luminaries like Albert Maysles, Errol Morris, and Werner Herzog, to lesser known filmmakers like Manfred Becker and Velcrow Ripper, seem capable of providing engaging food for thought for viewers interested in documentary filmmaking. Had Ferrari narrowed his film down to a half dozen of these filmmakers and allowed the conversations to develop, it probably would have made for a very intriguing film.

As there's never an opportunity for any filmmaker to speak for more than a minute or two at a time and thus no opportunity for anyone to address any topic in depth, Capturing Reality is at its most interesting when the comments of the filmmakers are edited in such a way as to at least simulate a dialogue with conflicting viewpoints. For example, in one of the best of these juxtapositions Nick Broomfield (Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer) derides set dressing as "destroying the very things you should be filming" after which Errol Morris proudly reminisces about how set dressing for Gates of Heaven allowed one interviewee to "come alive." Alas, these sound-bite length edited juxtapositions are a poor substitution for either real dialogue between the filmmakers or deeper consideration of the contrasting approaches through filmmaker's statements that last longer than a couple breathes.



I think I'll pass.

[Johann]

I listed the director's name. You didn't read that?
If someone is interested enough, they'll look up the date.

Point taken with your DVD Talk review. The film does jump around, with frequent cuts to a new filmmaker talking.
Lots of talking heads indeed.
But guess what?
If you are a True Film Student, you can cut through that and get to the meat, which is plenty tasty for insights into the filmmaking process.
I learned a lot from just the documentary- the other disc (this is a 2-DVD set) has over 4 hours of instructional tips on how to actually go out and make your own documentary. DVD Talk doesn't mention that, do they Chris?
I don't cross-reference my posts. I don't have the time. I have a life outside this forum.
If all I did was write here, I'd have double the posts you do! :)
I'm a film buff.
Not Roger Ebert.

[Chris Knipp]

Sorry, you do mention the director's name. It's somewhat hidden, though.