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.
Essays
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.
Una is a psychologically complex screen adaptation of Blackbird
Renowned theatre director Benedict Andrews makes a remarkable feature debut with Una, a screen adaptation of David Harrower’s award-winning play Blackbird. Get our two-part interview with Benedict Andrews. Listen to our podcast on films depicting childhood sexual assault, including Una and Slalom.
Best of TIFF16: Fien Troch’s Home
In Home, teachers and authority figures don’t skip a beat before upbraiding the teenagers in their charge, but writer-director Fien Troch asks us to empathize first and judge second.
Yanillys Perez’ TIFF16 Dropbox Award Winner Jeffrey
Yanillys Perez’ feature debut, which won the TIFF 16 Dropbox Award for the Discovery Section, is a work of creative nonfiction. Perez mixes magic realist voiceover with a social realist approach to its optimistic, clear-eyed, and poetic subject: Jeffrey, a charming and driven 12-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a famous reggaeton & dembow singer.