About the Filmmaker

1. On Documentary

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I studied philosophy in college but my imagination was seized by photography and filmmaking.  Working with a camera provided me with multiple  ways to explore what I wondered about most--how human life is experienced in so many specific and idiosyncratic ways; how experiences can morph over time; what role might memory play in shaping experiences; how do people choose to engage with the world; how do they formulate moral judgements, etc. 

 I read a good deal while preparing for a project, but have never felt properly prepared for the realities I encounter when we begin shooting--it's always different, often surprising, but always engaging.  Inevitably I find more opportunities for exploration than I could have imagined and I end up choosing to pursue the most vivid and compelling storylines that illuminate how others find ways to understand and engage with the world and how they explore experiences with others.  Even though I was only interviewing George I reviewed the tapes after each session to identify topics that I wanted to return to in order to probe for more detail and to understand in greater depth. 

My main objective in doing documentary work is to gain insight--to see beyond the surface in a useful and illuminating way; to catch a glimpse of deeper layers of significance; and, to discern what could be important but may not be evident.  The camera and the microphone can provide pathways to direct and acutely focused encounters with others that lead to new and unexpected insights.  The camera can see the expressive power of the eyes and the hands; it can observe the posture of the body and the disposition of the face.   The microphone can hear the qualities of speech--volume, speed, pitch, pauses and hesitancy, and the moment when one decides to start or stop speaking.

When I begin a documentary my intention is to bring to the viewer, as directly as possible, a reliable sense of the people whose stories are being depicted.  I begin the shooting and recording slowly and spend time answering questions about the process of production and editing.  I'll also explain in general terms what I hope to learn and understand about them.  My aim is to establish a comfortable level of trust and a sense of common purpose for both the observer and the observed.  The camera and sound gear may feel somewhat intrusive at first, but with a sense of mutual respect--by reliably returning day after day; and, by doing what we said we would do--the presence of the gear and a small crew has, at most, a trivial effect on the authenticity of what we record.