Recently had to come up with a list of "10 Masterpieces of Documentary" to be included in a series at the Maysles Institute Cinemateque in Harlem. It was more difficult than I expected, especially in trying to avoid some of the obvious choices. Here's what I came up with:Time Indefinite (1993) Ross McElweeProject: Grizzly (1996) Peter LynchOne the Bowery (1957) Lionel Rogosin (a borderline doc, but close enough)Love and Diane (2002) Jennifer DworkinLost Book Found (1996) Jem CohenLorang's Way (1980) David MacDougallGeneral Idi Amin Dada (1976) Barbet SchroederVolcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry (1984) Donald BrittainChronicle of a Summer (1960) Jean RouchNight and Fog (1955) Alain ResnaisThe list goes on and on... Didn't even touch some of my favorite music-related films (Wattstax; Roots Rock Reggae; Gimme Shelter; Don't Look Back; Monterey Pop; Beat This!; Bombin'). Anyway, had a lot of fun coming up with the films and was wondering what documentaries have inspired all of you...
DOCUMENTARIES...
- Thread starter williedynamite
- Start date
is that on the bowery a documentary?
some i would add are stuff like ruttmans symphony of a city, iven's rain, iven's political joints like the chinese red army thing perhaps, um i think its criminal to exclude flaherty, trinh t. minh ha's reassemblage is a must, i consider man with a movie camera to be experimental documentary and if not then vertov's lenin shorts, and i like jean rouch's film on africa, i cant remember the name right now. oh and last but definately not least the motherfucken GOD of that shit fred wiseman's titticut follies or any of his joints for that matter.
some i would add are stuff like ruttmans symphony of a city, iven's rain, iven's political joints like the chinese red army thing perhaps, um i think its criminal to exclude flaherty, trinh t. minh ha's reassemblage is a must, i consider man with a movie camera to be experimental documentary and if not then vertov's lenin shorts, and i like jean rouch's film on africa, i cant remember the name right now. oh and last but definately not least the motherfucken GOD of that shit fred wiseman's titticut follies or any of his joints for that matter.
yeah... there are so many good ones out there. i tried to come up with a bunch that were less likely to be covered by other contributors. agree that Titicut Follies, Hospital, High School or pretty much any other Wiseman is a must, also the other classic observational films like Grey Gardens, Salesman, Don't Look Back, etc... I think the Jean Rouch film you're referring to might be Le Jaguar. Also the Mad Masters and Lion Hunters are great too...
this is the one i saw. les maitres-fous or something like that, yes? i saw it high on drugs so imagine how much i was freaking out during the blood scenes.
i definitely think you should include reassemblage. it basically deconstructs the documentary up to that point.
i have a soft spot for "city symphonies" which is why i lean towards ruttman and that man with a movie camera flick. also joris iven's rain is basically a love letter to amsterdam.
and flaherty. im a fan. in all his homophobic hegemonic white male glory.
maybe a little bit obvious but:
Thin Blue Line
The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl
King of Kong
Hearts of Darkness
Thin Blue Line
The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl
King of Kong
Hearts of Darkness
yeah, that film is unbelievable... imagine seeing it high could be either an incredible or scarring experience, especially the part at the end where they eat the sacrificed dog.
i actually like his work a lot too (though The Man from Aran puts me down like two caps of Nyquil)... The participatory aspect of Nanook amazes me, and wish that more of his contemporaries had picked up on it. there's a really interesting negative reading of his work in Fatimah Rony's "The Third Eye: Race, Cinema, and Ethnographic Spectacle" and then a great counter-argument by Jay Ruby in "Picturing Culture". Ruby is such a salty dude and really tries to tear her playhouse down...
and Reassemblage is a great suggestion by the way... haven't seen it since college, but will certainly check it out again.
have you seen night and fog? similar subject and very very, well, i dont know how to put it. a beautiful horrible poem that finishes by putting things into perspective.I'd say this one belongs on any top 10 documentary list:
have you seen night and fog? similar subject and very very, well, i dont know how to put it. a beautiful horrible poem that finishes by putting things into perspective.I'd say this one belongs on any top 10 documentary list:
yeah I've seen both. I mean obviously they're totally different in scope and aim (half hour vs. nine friggin hours).
Resnais was going for a short, atmospheric snapshot, which is almost a like visual art piece to me.
Lanzmann obviously sought to create a more definitive, comprehensive history. While not a straight historical narrative a la the History channel, it was nonetheless an attempt to really tell a complete story (hence the interviews with historians and survivors). Plus the whole "bystanders" element was pretty next level; I don't know of another shoah documentary that really goes that deep into the stories of the "bystanders." To me that's the most unique part of the film.
Watching that thing in its entirety is a labor, though. I mean it's exhausting.
i hear you. i think resnais' intent was to pose a question in essay form and that's how i think its important. shoah is like you said a comprehensive look at the whole thing. and like the history channel, it attempts to exclude itself as a subjective author. whereas night and fog wholeheartedly approaches it from a subjective stance, which helps frame the audience inside the whole thing. its almost as if resnais accuses everyone including himself of being guilty of the holocaust and future atrocities that will (and have) happened.
i think this is why its important as a documentary. not solely because of its subject material, but because it is not at all trying to be objective in the matter. in a sense, night and fog is less about the holocaust and more about the atrocious nature of man, and how we will likely repeat these atrocities.
i think this is why its important as a documentary. not solely because of its subject material, but because it is not at all trying to be objective in the matter. in a sense, night and fog is less about the holocaust and more about the atrocious nature of man, and how we will likely repeat these atrocities.
i mean, its in harlem so im sure this one is blown, but how could i forget one of my most favorite docs of all time
STYLE WARS
YOU DO DOODLE!
STYLE WARS
YOU DO DOODLE!
thanks for the suggestion. his movies look fascinating. I'm going to check out "dying at grace" first. are there any specific titles you would recommend?