Cinéma vérité

Cinéma vérité (Template:IPAc-en, Template:IPAc-en, Template:IPA Template:Lit) is a style of documentary filmmaking developed by Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch, inspired by Dziga Vertov's theory about Kino-Pravda. It combines improvisation with use of the camera to unveil truth or highlight subjects hidden behind reality.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref> Ricky Leacock and “The Sense of Being There” Template:Webarchive – Article by Stephen Altobello at IMN</ref><ref>Camera that Changed the World, BBC Four.</ref> It is sometimes called observational cinema,<ref>Direct Cinema Template:Webarchive at Karamumedia12 Template:Webarchive.</ref><ref>Observational documentary at Film Reference</ref> if understood as pure direct cinema: mainly without a narrator's voice-over. There are subtle, yet important, differences between terms expressing similar concepts. Direct cinema is largely concerned with the recording of events in which the subject and audience become unaware of the camera's presence: operating within what Bill Nichols,<ref>Nichols, Bill. Introducing the Documentary. Indiana University Press, 2001, p. 109</ref> an American historian and theoretician of documentary film, calls the "observational mode", a fly on the wall. Many therefore see a paradox in drawing attention away from the presence of the camera and simultaneously interfering in the reality it registers when attempting to discover a cinematic truth.

History

Cinéma vérité can involve stylized set-ups and interaction between the filmmaker and the subject, even to the point of provocation. Some argue that the obvious presence of the filmmaker and camera was seen by most cinéma vérité filmmakers as the best way to reveal the truth.<ref>Barbara Bruni, "Jean Rouch: Cinéma-vérité, Chronicle of a Summer and The Human Pyramid", Senses of Cinema, issue 19, March 2002.</ref><ref>DIRECT CINEMA: Filmmaking Style and its relationship to "Truth" – Thesis by Bernice K. Shneider, B.A., Art History University of Massachusetts, MIT (1972)</ref><ref>Jean Rouch – The Film-maker as Provocateur Template:Webarchive – Article at Microwave.</ref> The camera is always acknowledged, for it performs the act of filming real objects, people, and events in a confrontational way. The filmmaker's intention was to represent the truth as objectively as possible, freeing the viewer from deceptions in how those aspects of life were formerly presented to them. From this perspective, the filmmaker should be the catalyst of a situation. Even among filmmakers whose works are described by these terms, there is little consensus on their meanings.

Pierre Perrault sets situations up and then films them, for example in Pour la suite du monde (1963) where he asked old people to fish for whale. The result is not a documentary about whale fishing; it is about memory and lineage. In this sense cinéma vérité is concerned with anthropological cinema, and with the social and political implications of what is captured on film. How a filmmaker shoots a film, what is being filmed, what to do with what was filmed, and how that film will be presented to an audience, all were very important for filmmakers of the time.

In all cases, the ethical and aesthetic analysis of documentary form (see docufiction) of the 1950s and 1960s has to be linked with a critical look at post-war propaganda analysis. This type of cinema is concerned with notions of truth and reality in film. Feminist documentary films of the 1970s often used cinéma-vérité techniques. This sort of "realism" was criticized for its deceptive pseudo-natural construction of reality.<ref>A feminist critique of documentary film – Paper at Serendip Studio Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>By, For, and About: The “Real” Problem in the Feminist Film Movement Template:Webarchive – Paper by Shilyh Warren at Mediascape, UCLA</ref>

Edgar Morin coined the term around the time of such essential films as 1960's Primary<ref name="The Godfather of Cinéma Vérité">Richard Brody, "The Godfather of Cinéma Vérité", The New Yorker, July 31, 2014.</ref> and his own 1961 collaboration with Jean Rouch, Chronicle of a Summer.<ref>Chronicle of a Summer (1961), The Criterion Collection.</ref>

Filmmakers associated with the style

Pioneers

• Robert Drew<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens">"Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth", Independent Lens, PBS.org.</ref><ref name="doesveritieexist?"/><ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Haskell Wexler<ref name="Haskell Wexler">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Richard Leacock<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="doesveritieexist?"/><ref name="veritieshorts"/><ref name="transformedamerica"/>
• D. A. Pennebaker<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="doesveritieexist?"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/><ref name="veritieshorts"/><ref name="transformedamerica"/><ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Jean Rouch<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="criterionveritie"/>

Others

Sources:<ref name="doesveritieexist?" /><ref name="jan2023" /><ref name="transformedamerica" />

• William Greaves<ref name="filmfourmverite" />
• Jim McBride<ref name="filmfourmverite" />
• Lindsay Anderson<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" />
• Sean Baker<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Tony Richardson<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" />
• Karel Reisz<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" />
• Agnes Varda<ref name="veritieshorts">Cinema Verité Shorts - The Criterion Channel</ref><ref name="filmfourmverite">Film Fourm · 60s VERITÉ</ref>
• Shirley Clarke<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="criterionveritie" /><ref name="transformedamerica">How ’60s Vérité Transformed American Cinema - Flavorwire</ref>
• Chris Marker<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" />
• Jean-Luc Godard<ref>How Tyler, The Creator Crafted His Own Cinematic Universe - VICE</ref><ref name="transformedamerica" />
• Vittorio De Seta<ref name="veritieshorts" />
• The Maysles Brothers (Albert and David Maysles)<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="doesveritieexist?" /><ref>The 50 Best Documentaries of the 21st Century - IndieWire</ref><ref name="jan2023" /><ref name="veritieshorts" /><ref name="transformedamerica" /><ref name="filmfourmverite" />
• Frederick Wiseman<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="doesveritieexist?" />
• John Cassavetes<ref>Cassavetes, Major Director In U.S. Cinema Verite, Dies at 59 - The New York Times</ref><ref>UNDER THE INFLUENCE: FILMS BY JOHN CASSAVETES | Official Trailer | Hand-Picked by MUBI - MUBI on YouTube</ref>
• Barbara Kopple<ref>New Working-class Studies - Google Books (pg.160)</ref><ref name="criterionveritie" /><ref name="jan2023">The Criterion Channel’s January 2023 Lineup|Current|The Criterion Collection</ref>
• Les Blank<ref name="criterionveritie">Cinema Verité - The Criterion Channel</ref><ref name="veritieshorts" />
• Peter Watkins<ref>The 25 Best Movies About The Cold War – Page 2 – Taste of Cinema</ref>
• Matthew Heineman<ref name="taughtmevertie" />

Selected cinéma-vérité films

• Daybreak Express (1953)<ref name="jan2023"/><ref name="veritieshorts"/>
• Sea Countrymen (1955)<ref name="jan2023"/><ref name="veritieshorts"/>
• Primary (1960)<ref name="The Godfather of Cinéma Vérité" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="howtousecinemavertie"/><ref name="taughtmevertie"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/><ref>The 'I' of the Camera - Google Books (pg.281)</ref>
• Chronicle of a Summer (1961)<ref>Chronicle of a Summer (1961)|The Criterion Collection</ref><ref name="howtousecinemavertie"/><ref name="doesveritieexist?"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963)<ref name="doesveritieexist?">Does Cinéma Vérité Exist? Watch These 2 Movies to Find Out - The New York Times</ref><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/><ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Love Meetings (1964)<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Happy Mother's Day (1964)<ref>Happy Mother's Day at Pennebaker Hegedus Films</ref><ref name="howtousecinemavertie"/><ref name="jan2023"/><ref name="veritieshorts"/>
• A Time For Burning (1966)<ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Dont Look Back (1967)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="howtousecinemavertie"/><ref name="taughtmevertie"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Portrait of Jason (1967)<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="transformedamerica"/>
• Titicut Follies (1967)<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="howtousecinemavertie">Cinéma Vérité: How to Use the Filmmaking Technique|Backstage</ref><ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Uncle Yanco (1967)<ref name="jan2023"/><ref name="veritieshorts"/>
• The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins (1968)<ref name="veritieshorts"/><ref name="jan2023"/>
• High School (1968)<ref>10 Essential Cinema Verite Films Every Documentary Fan Should See - Page 2 -Taste of Cinema</ref><ref name="transformedamerica"/>
• Monterey Pop (1968)<ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968)<ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Law and Order (1969)<ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Salesman (1969)<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="doesveritieexist?"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/><ref name="transformedamerica"/>
• Gimme Shelter (1970)<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="doesveritieexist?"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/>
• Hospital (1970)<ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• I Am Somebody (1970)<ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Woodstock (1970)<ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/>
• Christo's Valley Curtain (1973)<ref name="jan2023"/><ref name="veritieshorts"/>
• A Film of Their 1973 Spring Tour Commissioned by Christian Liberation Front of Berkeley California (1974)<ref>A Film of Their 1973 Spring Tour Commissioned by Christian World Liberation Front - IFFR EN</ref>
• Italianamerican (1974)<ref name="jan2023"/><ref name="veritieshorts"/>
• The Plaint of Steve Kreines as recorded by his younger brother Jeff (1974)<ref>The Plaint of Steve Kreines as recorded by his younger brother Jeff at Sundance Festival</ref>
• A Poem Is a Naked Person (1974)<ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/>
• Grey Gardens (1975)<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="howtousecinemavertie"/><ref name="doesveritieexist?"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/>
• Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)<ref name="1960scinemaveritie">1960s Cinema Verité documentaries come to the Criterion Channel|Stark Insider</ref><ref name="jan2023"/>
• Da Real Makoy (1977)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Always for Pleasure (1978)<ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/>
• Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980)<ref name="veritieshorts"/><ref name="jan2023"/>
• The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the sequel The Metal Years (1988)<ref>The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll: The Definitive History of the Most Important Artists and Their Music - Google Books (pg.113)</ref>
• The Atomic Cafe (1982)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>IN ‘THE ATOMIC CAFE,’ U.S. COLD WAR PROPAGANDA COMES OUT OF THE BUNKERS FOR THE TRUMP ERA - The Texas Observer</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Burden of Dreams (1982)<ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/>
• Say Amen, Somebody (1982)<ref>A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980 1989 - Google Books (pg. 380)</ref>
• Streetwise (1984)<ref>Two Stark Visions of the American Underbelly Hit the Big Screen|Current|The Criterion Collection</ref>
• Sherman's March (1986)<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
• Crack USA: County Under Siege (1989)<ref>Television History, the Peabody Archive, and Cultural Memory - Google Books</ref>
• Paris Is Burning (1990)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>IN DISGUISE A GROTESQUE MIRROR ON THE CULTURE 'PARIS IS BURNING' AND THE ... - Buffalo News</ref>
• American Dream (1991)<ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/>
• The War Room (1993)<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /><ref name="1960scinemaveritie"/><ref name="criterionveritie"/><ref name="jan2023"/>
• Hoop Dreams (1994)<ref>When We Were Kings: Hale County This Morning and Hoop Dreams|Watershed</ref>
• Tarnation (2003)<ref>Tarnation (2004): Jonathan Caouette's Reality as Painfully and Weirdly Entertaining Confessional Family Saga | Emanuel Levy</ref>
• Control Room (2004)<ref>Enter Narci-Cinema - The New York Times</ref>
• Murderball (2005)<ref name="taughtmevertie">Matthew Heineman: 5 Documentaries That Taught Me Vérité Filmmaking|A.frame</ref>
• How to Survive a Plague (2012)<ref>Archival Vérité: David France Talks about "The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson" on Notebook|MUBI</ref>
• Frame by Frame (2015)<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)<ref>Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)|The Criterion Collection</ref>
• Cow (2021)<ref>Why a Documentary About a Cow Reveals the Limits of an Art Form|The New Yorker</ref>
• When We Were Bullies (2021)<ref name="howtousecinemavertie"/>
• Jeen-Yuhs (2022)<ref>Inside the 21-Year Spiritual Journey of Capturing Kayne West's Life and Career|The Film Stage</ref>

Fictional cinéma vérité–style films

The following are films that are fictional or semi-fictional which use cinéma vérité film-making techniques:

• The Phenix City Story (1955)<ref>The Phenix City (1955) - filmsite.org</ref>
• Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962)<ref name="transformedamerica"/><ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• A Child is Waiting (1963)<ref>A Child Is Waiting - Harvard Film Archive</ref>
• David Holzman's Diary (1967)<ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Faces (1968)<ref name="ReferenceB">Josh Schasny, "25 New Hollywood Era Films That Projected the Hopes and Fears of the Times", Taste of Cinema, March 4, 2016.</ref><ref name="transformedamerica"/><ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Medium Cool (1969)<ref name="Haskell Wexler"/><ref name="jan2023"/><ref name="filmfourmverite"/>
• Multiple Maniacs (1970)<ref>Charlie Fox on John Waters's Multiple Maniacs - Artforum International</ref>
• Wanda (1970)<ref>Wanda (1970)|The Criterion Collection</ref>
• Bush Mama (1979)<ref>Killer of Sheep|The Seventh Art</ref>
• This Is Spinal Tap (1984)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)<ref>One hundred violent films that changed cinema Fulwood, Neil; 2003 (pg.100)</ref><ref>Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) - filmsite.org</ref>
• Bad Movie (1997)<ref>K-rime: Timeless, Bottomless Bad Movie screening</ref>
• Slam (1998)<ref>Slam: The Book - Publishers Weekly</ref>
• Thirteen (2003)<ref>Thirteen - Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film</ref>
• Take Out (2004)<ref>Take Out (2004)|The Criterion Collection</ref>
• Daddy Longlegs (2009)<ref>Daddy Longlegs (2009)|The Criterion Collection</ref>
• Certified Copy (2010)<ref>The 100 Best Movies of the 2010s - Paste Magazine</ref>
• Tangerine (2015)<ref>How the Filmmakers Behind Sundance Hit 'Tangerine' Shot on an iPhone & Got Cinematic Results - No Film School</ref>
• American Honey (2016)<ref>What 'American Honey' Says About the Kids: No, They're Not All Right - Variety</ref>
• The Florida Project (2017)<ref>"The Florida Project" finds magic for those living in the shadow of Disney – Tone Madison</ref>
• Gasoline Rainbow (2024)<ref>Don’t Call the Ross Brothers’ New Movie a Documentary: ‘We’re Desperate Not to Have This F**king Conversation Again’|IndieWire</ref><ref>Gasoline Rainbow review – a free-ranging coming-of-age ode to the curiosity of youth|Movies|The Guardian</ref>

Legacy

Many film directors of the 1960s and later adopted use of handheld camera and other cinéma vérité aspects for their scripted, fiction filmsTemplate:--having actors improvise to get a more spontaneous quality in their dialogue and action. Influential examples include director John Cassavetes, who broke ground with his 1968 Academy Award-nominated film Faces.<ref>John Cassavetes in Allmovie, accessed online on the New York Times, October 23, 2006.</ref> The techniques of cinéma vérité can also be seen in fictional films from The Blair Witch Project<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /> to Saving Private Ryan.<ref>Best Film Editing Sequences - filmsite.org</ref>

Cinéma vérité was also adapted for use in scripted TV programs, such as Homicide: Life on the Street, NYPD Blue, The Shield,<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /> both the UK and American versions of The Office,<ref name="howtousecinemavertie"/> Parks & Recreation<ref>Brad Becker Parton, "How 'Parks and Rec' Transcended its Mockumentary Roots", Vulture, February 26, 2015.</ref> and Modern Family.<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" /> Documentary series are less common, but COPS is one famous non-fictional example.<ref name="Cinema Verite: The Movement of Truth|Independent Lens" />

It has also been a subject ripe for parodies and spoofs such as the mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Emmy Award-nominated TV series Documentary Now (the latter paying homage to the style of such CV classics as Grey Gardens, Salesman and The War Room).<ref>"'Documentary Now!' a spoof on docs by 'SNL' alums Seth Meyers, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen", Daily News, August 14, 2015.</ref><ref>Hubert Adjei-Kontoh, "Documentary Now! An ode to the funniest spoof on television", The Guardian, February 20, 1019.</ref>

See also

• Cinéma Vérité: Defining the Moment
• Cinema Verite – the 2011 HBO TV movie about the making of PBS's 1973 documentary series An American Family
• Ethnofiction
• Found footage (pseudo-documentary)
• Pilottone
• Sync sound
• 16 mm film
• Guerrilla filmmaking
• Dogme 95

External links

• REALISM, article by Robert McConnell at Parlez-vous.com
• Cinéma Vérité at Encyclopædia Britannica
• Template:Webarchive
• Cinéma Vérité: Defining The Moment, IMDb.