It seems we’re approaching the point where a documentary has been made about practically everything, so it only makes sense that eventually we’d get a documentary about documentary filmmaking! The meta-ness is mind-blowing! For documentary fans and filmmakers, Capturing Reality is a great resource and starting point for discussion of the techniques and ethics of non-fiction filmmaking. For the casual viewer, it’s probably boring as hell. For me, it was a chance to get some insight from some of my favourite filmmakers on one of my favourite forms of storytelling.
There’s a lot of debate within documentary circles about the idea of truth in non-fiction filmmaking, and it’s certainly given some screen time in this film. In particular, I found it interesting hearing stories about the staging of certain scenes from Werner Herzog’s ‘Little Dieter Needs to Fly’ and Errol Morris’ ‘Gates of Heaven’. Two films from two of my favourite filmmakers, both sidestepping the rules of documentary in pursuit of great cinema. To me, these little manipulations are as harmless as telling a white lie; when a close friend asks ‘do you think I look good in these pants?’, it might better for both you (the filmmaker) and your friend (the audience) if you just say ‘Yes. You look great’, regardless of how frumpy his/her ass may look. Back to films; as long as the broad factual elements are sound, a cinematic presentation at the expense of some documentary conventions is fine by me. ESPECIALLY if it elevates the medium in a fresh and exciting way.
Capturing Reality really benefits from the DVD format in that it’s a film that can work as a reference guide. The menu seems to encourage unusual timeline navigation, taking in the information however you might like to. The bonus disc is comprised of hours of extra materials (more interviews) that are separated by subject and filmmaker. Very handy and all very interesting. It’s also worth mentioning that the National Film Board’s official website for the film is pretty mind blowing and contains a great deal of material as well. Again, this material might not transcend its subject matter and audiences uninterested in documentary filmmaking will likely be checking their watch. The good news is there’s tons of great clips from documentaries scattered throughout the film, so the talking head interviews are given a rest now and again.
Overall, Capturing Reality is a great release that’s packed with interesting content, making it a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in documentary filmmaking. The film is available for purchase through First Run Features in the and Mongrel Media in Canada.
sounds awesome. everyone should check that website out also, tons of good stuff. thanks!
I disagree with you. Finding out that the “trophy room” scene from Gates of Heaven was a set up was greatly disappointing. I don’t support the use of hyperbole in documentary filmmaking, even if the goal is to create a cinematic moment. I like documentaries because the rules require them to not include bullshit.
Gregory’s got a great point. I have a journalism background and moved into documentary filmmaking about ten years ago. I was gravely disappointed when I realized how often documentary filmmakers will distort or misrepresent the truth in their films. I had the assumption that documentary filmmaking meant “capturing the truth”.. that it is a journalistic endeavor. What I’ve learned over the years, is that documentaries come in all shapes and sizes… some stretching the truth more than others. Documentaries can often be opinion pieces (ie Michael Moore). It is a style that can be highly entertaining and highly thought provoking.. but true?? Well, that’s up to the audience.
By the way, thank you Jay, for the review of Capturing Reality. I am always keeping an eye out for great documentary tutorials to post on my website, so this one looks like it’s worth a look.
This film was fantastic for doc nerds. I loved it. So glad you reviewed it.
Faith:
Documentary is so, so far from journalism. Documentaries tell stories. You could probably say that the only consistent thing that separates non-fiction filmmaking from fiction filmmaking is that with fiction, story dictates the content and with docs content dictates story.
It was really cool to listen to how the different filmmakers had very different ideas on what it means to be ethical in making their work.
You could also note that even on the news, ‘journalism’ – cuts, interpretations, and summations are made all the time. The truth is always being fudged.
Pare Lorents defined documentaries as ”a factual film which is dramatic”, which means that the actual events have been played with in a way we can say, whether it was by editing or the way that they managed to add and controle actores in the film, that is strongly related to a feature film elements,
nearly connects us to how Fred Wiseman defined documentary film saying it’s a ”reality fiction” clearly meaning that actual events and stories were staged, changing them from reality to be fiction. Why would two Great filmmakers look at the most affective media, in that way?
When we plan to watch a documentary, all what we want is to know the truth but is it all about truth these days, of course no so it’s not considered a documentary any more i think, it’s just a movie like any other movie, watching it just for entertainment nothing more, i agree with Gregory Crofton in his previous comment saying that ” Finding out that the “trophy room” scene from Gates of Heaven was a set up was greatly disappointing.
Some people disagree when we say that it’s not the truth and documentaries involve no staging, ok let’s think of documentaries as a totally reality media for a second, involving no staging or fictional elements and look for example at the documentary ”Nanook of the North” 1922, it’s one of the greatest examples we can go through, since it was capturing a life,
it was capturing reality itself supposedly, when the family went for hunting in one of the scenes using harpon where they already had a stronger weapons just to show how they survive, isn’t that considered directing the character to act in the way the director wants to tell his story in a dramatic way?
let’s say they were poor and couldn’t use something other than the harpon, then what about the scene inside the igloo? how would a camera and its equipment to go in through the tiny hole, didn’t they build half of it to shoot inside? isn’t that staging? what makes me sure it’s the way they lived at that time!
Adding in another example of the documentary baraka, when a group of people practicing there prayers wearing orang, sitting on the ground leaving no space between them, how would they set up a camera between them and shoot a close shot of the event, isn’t that staging too?
how would i believe from now on whats said in a documentary, unfortunately it’s the most media source that is strongly affecting the world, changing the way we think the way we talk and even our lifestyles! thats why I stopped watching them for learning and knowing the truth, because it has nothing of true anymore, which is REALLY disappointing.