INTRODUCTION

A  brief look at the documentary filmmaking, for lovers of the RÉEL


The documentary is at the very origins of filmmaking, of the whole art of moving pictures, and it has certainly changed a great deal since 1895. When the Lumière Brothers filmed those famous images of workers leaving their factory.

From the camera as a simple witness to the rise of docudrama, ethnological films and journalistic reporting, from heavy hand-crank cameras and film to today’s ultra light mini-DV digital cameras, from dark theatres to television—genres, styles, techniques and approaches have multiplied and proliferated. And yet, even today, more than a century after those unforgettable images made their mark on the collective consciousness of more than one generation, it is indisputable that, by its very nature, the documentary is still, first and foremost, a testimonial grounded in reality—life, movement, thought—and a representation of that same reality.

And if the desire for objectivity remains, as ever, at the heart of the documentary, it is just as inescapable that the filmmaker’s point of view and particular vision permeate the whole work. They set the tone, move us, shock us, affect us and enable us to absorb the work’s message, whatever it may be. Ultimately, all of those things make the documentary indisputably a creative work unto itself since, even though it comes from reality and not the fictional imagination, its original vision undoubtedly results from a specific approach and clear choices—highly subjective and personal choices.

The documentary filmmaker’s vision resides in his or her formal approach, in the manner of approaching the subject; this, of course, is also the reason why we take an interest in one work and not another. And there are multiple forms and approaches: distant, neutral, observational; at the centre of the action, activist, critical; or purely reflexive, whether the reflection is directed outward (to illustrate a theme or a philosophy) or inward (as in self-portraits, among others). For example, the adoption of a strictly observational stance often results in a neutral portrait or exploration of a social or cultural topic. Conversely, the decision to take an overtly subjective and inquisitive approach is generally well suited to opinion or activist pieces. Between these two extremes is the reflexive work, which yields an eminently personal and abstract point of view, as the filmmaker has chosen to give the viewer an introspective or frankly experimental look at his or her world, whether the subject be deeply personal or an exploration of larger, more universal questions.

Of course, the boundaries between these different forms are never quite so clear; generally speaking, approaches overlap. Each of these elements makes a work engrossing, fascinating, provocative, disturbing, interesting. Now more than ever, as the Rencontres internationales du documentaire team states on its website, “...documentary film truly is a privileged means for understanding the challenges facing our society and our planet.”

With all that in mind, I accepted Vidéographe’s invitation to select and program the works comprising the Documentary section of the incredible exhibition platform that is Vithèque. Some of the works selected from Vidéographe’s distribution catalogue are what you might call classic in nature, others are clearly more eclectic, but in every case I was determined to choose singular works rooted in truly creative visions that really have something to say and reveal—not unlike the creative, exploratory enthusiasm of Vidéographe’s video artists, not to mention their highly developed social conscience. After all, documentaries are also about teaching, discovery and the exploration of unknown or underappreciated phenomena, like francophone Ontario, Maritime communities, distant cultures and so many other things. This is also one of the crucial roles of the documentary: to take us where we can’t go, to introduce us to people we don’t know, to listen to them tell us their story or tell us something about themselves. The documentary opens a window onto the world, and Vidéographe’s videomakers understood that from the moment the centre opened in 1971. All of that is clearly reflected in the selection of social and political films, portraits and essays.

In conclusion, I would also like to say that, on viewing more than 300 works representing over 35 years of work, I took immense pleasure in appreciating the tremendous vitality of the modern documentary in general, and contemporary Quebec and Canadian documentaries in particular. While I did select some foreign works, most of these documentaries are homegrown. Of course, it is worth remembering that Quebec and the rest of Canada have a rich documentary tradition thanks to direct cinema, the National Film Board (NFB), and so on. It is obvious that the rejuvenation of documentary filmmaking around the world, and especially right here, since about the mid-90s, is absolutely undeniable. So much the better for those of us who love real life.

Back to Top

INTRODUCTION

A  brief look at the documentary filmmaking, for lovers of the RÉEL


The documentary is at the very origins of filmmaking, of the whole art of moving pictures, and it has certainly changed a great deal since 1895. When the Lumière Brothers filmed those famous images of workers leaving their factory.

From the camera as a simple witness to the rise of docudrama, ethnological films and journalistic reporting, from heavy hand-crank cameras and film to today’s ultra light mini-DV digital cameras, from dark theatres to television—genres, styles, techniques and approaches have multiplied and proliferated. And yet, even today, more than a century after those unforgettable images made their mark on the collective consciousness of more than one generation, it is indisputable that, by its very nature, the documentary is still, first and foremost, a testimonial grounded in reality—life, movement, thought—and a representation of that same reality.

And if the desire for objectivity remains, as ever, at the heart of the documentary, it is just as inescapable that the filmmaker’s point of view and particular vision permeate the whole work. They set the tone, move us, shock us, affect us and enable us to absorb the work’s message, whatever it may be. Ultimately, all of those things make the documentary indisputably a creative work unto itself since, even though it comes from reality and not the fictional imagination, its original vision undoubtedly results from a specific approach and clear choices—highly subjective and personal choices.

The documentary filmmaker’s vision resides in his or her formal approach, in the manner of approaching the subject; this, of course, is also the reason why we take an interest in one work and not another. And there are multiple forms and approaches: distant, neutral, observational; at the centre of the action, activist, critical; or purely reflexive, whether the reflection is directed outward (to illustrate a theme or a philosophy) or inward (as in self-portraits, among others). For example, the adoption of a strictly observational stance often results in a neutral portrait or exploration of a social or cultural topic. Conversely, the decision to take an overtly subjective and inquisitive approach is generally well suited to opinion or activist pieces. Between these two extremes is the reflexive work, which yields an eminently personal and abstract point of view, as the filmmaker has chosen to give the viewer an introspective or frankly experimental look at his or her world, whether the subject be deeply personal or an exploration of larger, more universal questions.

Of course, the boundaries between these different forms are never quite so clear; generally speaking, approaches overlap. Each of these elements makes a work engrossing, fascinating, provocative, disturbing, interesting. Now more than ever, as the Rencontres internationales du documentaire team states on its website, “...documentary film truly is a privileged means for understanding the challenges facing our society and our planet.”

With all that in mind, I accepted Vidéographe’s invitation to select and program the works comprising the Documentary section of the incredible exhibition platform that is Vithèque. Some of the works selected from Vidéographe’s distribution catalogue are what you might call classic in nature, others are clearly more eclectic, but in every case I was determined to choose singular works rooted in truly creative visions that really have something to say and reveal—not unlike the creative, exploratory enthusiasm of Vidéographe’s video artists, not to mention their highly developed social conscience. After all, documentaries are also about teaching, discovery and the exploration of unknown or underappreciated phenomena, like francophone Ontario, Maritime communities, distant cultures and so many other things. This is also one of the crucial roles of the documentary: to take us where we can’t go, to introduce us to people we don’t know, to listen to them tell us their story or tell us something about themselves. The documentary opens a window onto the world, and Vidéographe’s videomakers understood that from the moment the centre opened in 1971. All of that is clearly reflected in the selection of social and political films, portraits and essays.

In conclusion, I would also like to say that, on viewing more than 300 works representing over 35 years of work, I took immense pleasure in appreciating the tremendous vitality of the modern documentary in general, and contemporary Quebec and Canadian documentaries in particular. While I did select some foreign works, most of these documentaries are homegrown. Of course, it is worth remembering that Quebec and the rest of Canada have a rich documentary tradition thanks to direct cinema, the National Film Board (NFB), and so on. It is obvious that the rejuvenation of documentary filmmaking around the world, and especially right here, since about the mid-90s, is absolutely undeniable. So much the better for those of us who love real life.

Back to Top