You've seen a lot of clips of documentary films in class throughout the semester. You've watched a number of documentary films outside of class, too. Of all of the films you've been introduced to in the past fourteen weeks, which one do you remember the most? What is it about this film thematically and/or aesthetically that's made it resonate for you?Please answer this question in at least two paragraphs, detailing what it was about this film that sticks with you and why. Include in your answer how you think this film might influence your future work in documentary production.
I look forward to reading your answers, so please post them before our next (and final!) class.
9 comments:
Out of all the docs we talked about, viewed, or viewed parts of, the one that popped out in class when talking about this was Salesmen by the Maysles brothers.
We did not watch this in class, but I would highly suggest you all put it on your netflix, go to facets or whatever to see this film.
In an earlier post I wrote about the film when it was fresh on my mind, about the aesthetics and the emotions evoked, but rather than retyping that post I'll go off what resonates with me after the details have dulled.
I think the main reason this film stuck out for me was that it was one of the only films that seemed like a true documentary. Whoa. Now before you all move to attack let me explain. A documentary is something that captures a true piece of life, a segment in time that will evoke the same human emotions years from now as it did when it was filmed. Timeless. Salesmen was the first film that came to mind when thinking of documentaries in this way.
There are many examples of this to be sure, however on the first day we talked about the unattainable objectivity that many docs strive for. We watched everything from propaganda to meditative personal pieces, which all have their place, but there is something in Salesmen that seems to physically transport me to that exact time. I feel like I am sitting with them after work, rubbing my temples, thinking about tomorrow, about the next sale.
This feeling is intensely human. I feel a lot for these characters without them explaining themselves, without them whining or complaining to a camera, without something being exploited, or feeling that I should walk away with some greater message, that I should start recycling my toenails or whatever. Salesmen just lets life unfold.
Sure Albert Maysles though about what to portray, where to put the camera, and in doing so destroys objectivity, but as a filmmaker I hope to model myself after their philosophy of just letting things unfold, and filming the feeling, the atmosphere of what transpires.
The movie that I remember the most was Tarnation. While yes, there is so much to be said, and so much criticism against it. I've showed it to a few friends, and they couldn't take it. The middle section is so long, and the film style is so hybrid and abnormal to cinema, it's catching to me. It stuck with me, and by the end I felt a sense of change.
I also like that we watched this in it's entirely. If we only watched the first 5-10 minutes of the film, I don't think I would have liked it at all. I went out and rented the movie after :)
While almost all of the docs ive been introduced to in the past few months have left impressions on me, I think the one that I learned the most from was Dark Days. This movie absolutely blew me away with its exposure of a subject(starring subjects) that I just wouldn't think could be accessible to an outsider. The doc is about the homeless community underneath the subways in new york and it showed me how intriguing and captivating a documentary can be, how intimate a camera can get to a character without using the lens of exploitation, and most importantly internally for my own films- how beautiful you can expose real life to be, even where it's darkest.
I think the play on light in this movie is phenomenal and has the tendency to resonate like poetry. This film reaches unreachable standards when it comes to finding characters and gaining their trust. I think everyone should walk away from this film with a sense that if approached right, there are no limitations to who you can get to be in your films. In some cases, getting people without homes to star in your movie could be harder than getting hollywood stars.
The film was made with a small crew and seemed pretty low budget. A low-budget film resonating is inspiring. This movie takes all my concerns with making documentaries- the lack of funding, inaccessible characters, and a huge crew- and throws them out the window. An absolutely stunning portrayal of life done bare bones makes me want to make movies just like this one.
Well this semester,I enjoyed movies that was watched in class, as well as movies I watched on my own. The movie in class that I remembered the most is Tarnation.And that movie that I liked the most outside of class was Loose Change 2nd Edition.
I liked Tarnation because it was so different and weird and I have never seen anything like that before. I don't know if I can fully watch that movie again, but it did stick in my head.It was a weird style that you usually don't see on docs. It took me aback and that's what I liked about it.
With Loose Change, which I'll show in class on Monday, I just happened to stumble across it. And once it started to play,I became more interested in it and decided to look more into it. This movie really gave me the need to help with social change.I would recommend this movie to everyone.
OF all the films i remember i would have to say Tarnation is the one that will stick with me the most. The aesthetic originality is what got me hooked first. Archival footage is sometimes the most interesting. But the content of the film was what was truly extraordinary.
The film revolved around a highly dysfunctional family that makes my family look sane. That comfronting thought helps. The feeling i got while watching it is when you see a horrible car wreck on the highway and cant help but stare. Not only the content but the whole hearted respect i have for the film maker is what make it a memmorible film. to expose ones self fully is one of the scariest things to do, especially when you know you have skeletons in your closet. But having the courage to do it and doing it to the fullest extent possible makes a difference and it shows in this film.
I can't really say which ONE of all the films we watched stuck with me the most. I can list a few, but cannot name just one.
As others have said, Tarnation definatly stuck with me. I think though, it was not simply the story but the composition of the film that made it stick out in my mind.
At the Death House Door was another one that I think I will remember for quite some time. This one is because of the subject matter, the people, the stories, everything was very emotional.
Encounters At the End of the World was another one that definatly stood out for me. It stood out for several reasons. The first was learning about the type of people who go down to antartica to work there for long periods of time, and the second reason that it stuck with me is that the images were unlike anything else. The film explored something that is seldom brought into the media.
The Gleaners and I also somewhat stuck with me, and I am not really sure why. I enjoyed the style and thought the subject matter was very interesting but I am not sure why it stood out so much for me.
i would have to say streetwise. i got a chance to see the rest of it on you tube (shitty quality but considering its hard to find status it works) and that film is astounding. Each scene looks like a portrait and is so beautifully composed, which had to be tough considering its cinema verite shooting style. The film makers photography background really shines through. i also enjoyed the narration audio clips being placed over scenes and still playing the that audio also. i hope that makes sense. i have such trouble with my visual elements that this film inspires me to just start taking more photos and become more comfortable with the lens and the perspective it can creative.
I would say Sherman's March was the only film that had a lasting effect on me this semester. I am still thinking about the struggle the narrator has to endure in order to complete the film and make it more than just about Sherman's March, but a deep character portrait of the documentarian.
I do not like to watch depressing documentaries. I know that sad films are a big part of the doc library but I just cannot bring myself to sit through a long depressing film. Knowing this about myself I feel that Sherman's March was one of the only films we watched this semester that did not have depressing overtones and was not strictly about a sad topic.
I could relate to the struggle the filmmaker had to endure to complete the documentary. It started as a film about Sherman's March through the south but ended up being a personal narrative film about relationship troubles the filmmaker has been experiencing thoughout his life. I tend to make films in a similar way because sometimes the best parts of my films just happen by accident. I have watched other scenes from Sherman's March on the internet but was unable to find a full copy on the net so I guess i'll just have to start up my netflix account again for the summer and try to watch it in its entirety. I really feel like I could, and would, make a film like Sherman's March which is why I feel I have such a personal connection with it and always have it in the back of my mind when I am planning to shoot a film.
The first documentary I chose for the Doc Galore assignment, Stevie. I think part of what sticks with me is that Steve James began the project expecting it to be a short, more observational piece on his return to meet his Little Brother Stevie ten or so years later, and it turned out to be a 2-1/2 hour film which James stepped in front of the camera for, as Stevie was charged with a horrendous crime, and in a sense turned to James for his support. This incredibly dysfunctional family, just a few hours south in Illinois, struggles with a history of abuse that seems to prove how society can create criminals. It's amazing how James portrayed Stevie in a nonjudgmental light, and made me feel angry at him and sorry for him, without being told how to feel one way or another. I guess other than the characters and the greater social statement of the film, it just really proved how A) as a filmmaker you need to be empathetic with your subjects, and B) you can't really plan ahead for a documentary and expect it to pan out the way you want, it's unpredictable and you have to be flexible and discover new meaning as you go through.
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