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Amir Labaki - Festival Director "Wise men say/ Only fools rush in". Elvis Presley left us this quote just a few years before the revitalizing breeze of the so-called "direct cinema" gathered momentum. Almost half a century has passed, and the lessons of that style are more contemporary than ever, catalyzed, passed and present, by a blend of the new ethical thrust and incredible technical advances. This was the birth of a new esthetics for non-fictional production. Frederick Wiseman was one of the leaders. The retrospective that brings him to Brazil for the first time proves the vitality and persistence of his cinema. Wiseman is, at one and the same time, the most American and the most universal of the documentary filmmakers. When rereading a nation, he gives us the world. It is essential that we return to the "direct cinema" during the era of digital cinema, that shares not a small number - ethical, technical and esthetic - of basic issues with the former. The impact caused on production, even in Brazil, has already been immense, as proven by the various Brazilian representatives in the Festival. Geraldo Sarno reinterprets Brazil during this same period when Wiseman was dissecting the US. The "Farkas Caravan", of which Sarno was a protagonist, is to contemporary Brazilian documentaries what the gang formed by Wiseman, D.A. Pennebaker, Richard Leacock, Robert Drew and Albert & David Mayles was to America. If it is impossible to decipher the US, without seeing "Titicut Follies" (1967), by Wiseman, or "Primary" (1960), by Drew & Leacock, how can we understand Brazil without "Viramundo" (1964/65), by Sarno? To see, deal with and debate these works is already enough justification for an entire Festival. This sixth It's All True goes further, standing off against tradition the best of the Brazilian and international 2000/2001 crop. The record number of Brazilian films, the maturity of the production as a whole, and the greater thematic and stylistic boldness signal a rare moment in the history of the genre in Brazil. Six years ago, in our first edition, we celebrated the return of Brazilian cinema, in which the documentary played a small role. Today, without exaggeration, the vanguard of the Brazilian audiovisual process runs right through the documentary film. That is, here as well as the world over. The highlight given to Brazilian production, in the several choices this year, is solid proof of this fact. It's no mere coincidence that the institutions responsible for this event leave their mark on several other phases of this process. The commitment shown by all of them to developing the documentary film goes far beyond this Festival. For their trust, excellence and complicity, I reiterate my profound gratitude. Along with the many joys since the last edition, in January sadness hit us and almost wiped out our joy. Of course, I'm referring to the death of Johan van der Keuken. His generous and illuminating visit two years ago has been, perhaps, the greatest highpoint of the brief history of this Festival. It is impossible to watch documentaries with the same perception, after seeing a film by van der Keuken. This event is humbly dedicated to the memory of our Flying Dutchman. AMIR LABAKI FESTIVAL DIRECTOR