Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary

This film was quite the undertaking--getting all these documentary makers together for all the interviews. And, on top of this, some were very, very important names in the industry. I am impressed by this and strongly recommend the film to anyone who likes documentaries and wants to find out what these filmmakers think of their craft.

Mostly, the film consists of these interviews as well as a few clips of their movies. Many times, certain topics were answered by the filmmakers--and sometimes they disagreed. For example, one said that the only way to make a documentary is to film everything EXACTLY as it is in life--while Errol Morris (one of the top names in the genre) admits to actually creating the set used by the boss of the cemetery--digging the trophies out of the attic and arranging them to give the office a certain look. Another strongly objected to Michael Moore's style of films and calls them '...crimes towards the art form of documentary'. Even seemingly mundane topics as sound and music as well as the importance or unimportance of narration are discussed. It's like having a microscope that can peer into the minds of these directors--and it's interesting to documentary film lovers--though I could imagine it would be VERY tough going for the average person.