The Art of Observing Life

Over an extended period of time, the celebrated documentary director Marina Goldovskaya interviewed a number of her fellow filmmakers, all pioneers of the American documentary, including some who have since died. The directors she interviewed are Richard Leacock, Albert Maysles, D. A. Pennebaker, Robert and Anne Drew, Chris Hegedus, Jonas Mekas, Lionel Rogosin, Allan King and Michael Rubbo. They talk in their living rooms about making films that are now considered milestones in the history of documentary cinema. Drew, Leacock, Maysles and Pennebaker discuss the designing of a light, portable sync sound camera for Primary, which set a new standard for documentary making and introduced cinema verité to the U.S. We are also present during master classes led by greats from the documentary world, whose dedication and experience are an inspiration to all. You might say that The Art of Observing Life is itself a master class. What the interviewees all share is their search for ways of capturing the full complexity of life, and this film is an homage to the documentary and some of its most notable figures. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)