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São Paulo, Sesc Avenida Paulista
April 2 – 4, 2008

The Boundaries of Documentary Film Today

The recent acclaim that the engaged documentary school has received – whose most prominent global symbol is the work of Michael Moore – poses a collateral risk for the documentary genre. Non-fictional cinema might be captured through the lenses of this purely instrumental account to the detriment of one of its richest contemporary resources, namely, the autonomization of documentary film as a free authorial discourse.

John Grierson’s model had many lessons in store, while engaged documentary launches campaigns. Both are filmmaking with a cause. The former preaches from the pulpit, the latter from a dais. But contemporary documentary making is not standing at the forefront of artistic experimentation thanks to signature films. Quite the contrary.

It is precisely the mapping out of this free territory known as experimental documentary – for lack of a more suitable term – that provides the theme for the 8th International Documentary Conference. And we couldn’t find a better opportunity to showcase in this Festival’s edition a groundbreaking retrospective of Brazilian experimental documentary.

Visitors to the Festival will be able to compare different historical views and national perspectives. One of the round tables will address the expansion of the boundaries of cinema of truth. There can be no better way to discuss the main Brazilian contributions.

Finally, it is a privilege for this Conference to close with a meeting with one of the most unpredictable documentarians working today, the Danish filmmaker Jorgen Leth.

Fasten your seat belts and welcome aboard!

Amir Labaki & Maria Dora Mourão
It’s All True & CINUSP “Paulo Emílio”