American Direct Cinema (temporary title)
In the 1960s, a group of American documentary filmmakers developed a new style of filmmaking. Later known as “observational cinema,” this style was characterized by the absence of background music, scripts, narration, or interviews. It astonished the world with its unrestricted access to all corners of society—from the President’s office to rock concerts, schools, police departments, and the military. This retrospective takes a contemporary look at the unparalleled lineage of American “Direct Cinema,” a movement that stands alongside France’s cinéma vérité. From Yanki No! (1960), a collaboration between Richard Leacock, Albert Maysles, and D.A. Pennebaker, to Frederick Wiseman’s Law and Order (1968), and Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus’s The War Room (1993), which followed the campaign that made Bill Clinton president, the program offers a sweeping view of this groundbreaking documentary tradition.
- Line-up (Selected)
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Yanki, No!
Dir: Richard Leacock, Albert Maysles, D.A. Pennebaker / 1960
Primary
Dir: Robert Drew / 1960
Law and Order
Dir: Frederic Wiseman / 1968
Harlan County, US
Dir: Barbara Kopple / 1976
The War Room
Dir: D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus / 1993