Every documentarian has a unique approach to filmmaking, but you might not expect that Frederick Wiseman and Gianfranco Rosi often have polar opposite approaches to making their films. Based on two interviews with each documentarian, we break down their many points of difference, and a few similarities, in their approaches.
How do you edit a documentary? Gianfranco Rosi on Fire at Sea
In our second behind-the-scenes look at the film, Gianfranco Rosi talks editing Fire at Sea: how he narrows down his documentary footage and shapes it into a narrative in the editing room.
Gianfranco Rosi on his Berlinale winner Fire at Sea
Gianfranco Rosi discusses the making of Fire at Sea (Fuocoammare): finding his protagonist, developing the film’s aesthetic, creating the sound mix, and discovering the film’s title.
Director Kleber Mendonça Filho on the sounds of Aquarius
Brazilian writer-director Kleber Mendonça Filho discusses his new film Aquarius, creating its complex sound design, choosing the soundtrack, and Brazilian architecture.
Ava DuVernay’s 13th is an innovative spin on the talking head doc
Employing key but subtle twists on the convention talking head documentary, Ava DuVernay’s 13th explains how slavery in the U.S. was never really abolished without ever resorting to preaching.
Andrew Neel’s Goat lacks psychological insight
Andrew Neel’s Goat is an excellent showcase for up-and-coming star Ben Schnetzer, whose strong performance hints at the better film it could have been had Neel been less focussed on brutality and more focussed on psychological insight.