Direct cinema developed in the 1960s by the Maysles brothers who wanted to compare reality to common opinions. They filmed events without manipulation to challenge other documentary modes. Cinema verite is a style combining naturalistic techniques with editing and camerawork to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking provocative stances. Warrendale and The War Room are examples of direct cinema and cinema verite respectively that observe events candidly.

1. CINEMA VERITE

2. What is it?
Direct cinema:
- Direct cinema was developed in the 1960s by the
Maysles brothers, Albert and David Maysles,
- It came from a desire to compare common
opinion with reality.
- They wanted to challenge other modes of
documentary through using new film language.
- They argued that reality of events in
documentaries failed as other modes manipulated
the audience into believing what they wanted.

3. Maysles Brothers
 Albert and David Maysles were a documentary filmmaking team
whose “Direct Cinema" works include films such
 Salesman (1968)
 Gimme Shelter (1970)
 Grey Gardens (1976).
 Jean-Luc Godard once called Albert Maysles "the best American
cameraman”. In 2005 Maysles was given a lifetime achievement
award at the Czech film festival AFO (Academia Film Olomouc). He
is working on his own autobiographical documentary.
 In 2005 he founded the Maysles Institute, a non profit organization
that provides training and apprenticeships to underprivileged
individuals.

4. Examples:
Direct cinema:
-W arrendale, 1966
- Allan King: producer/director
Considered by some to be one of the best pieces of
Direct Cinema ever made, Warrendale is a
documentary about the treatment of several
mentally ill children at the Warrendale Treatment
Centre. The film and the treatment centre caused
a great deal of uproar about the invasion of
privacy and the treatment of the children. It is very
good example of Direct Cinema. It films very
private moments and demands a great deal of the
audience.

5. What is it?
Cinema Verite:
- It is a style of, documentary filmmaking
combining naturalistic techniques with
stylized cinematic devices of editing and
camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use
of the camera to provoke subjects. It is
also known for taking a provocative
stance toward its topics.
- Often interchanged with Direct Cinema,
even though there are obvious
differences.
- First used by French ethnologist and
filmmaker, Jean Rouch.
- His aim was to explore the reaction
between the camera and the subject, not
to deny the camera’s existence.

6. Examples:
Cinema verite:
- "The War Room" (1993) is a great example of the
documentary that includes the technique cinema verite.
- The War Room is a behind-the-scenes look at the
politics of governor Bill Clinton. It followed everything
from the primaries to the presidential campaign.
- Some famous French examples of cinema verite are
“Chronicle of a Summer” (1961) by Jean Rouch and “Le
Joli Mai” (1962) by Chris Marker. A famous French film
director who was influenced by cinema verite was Jean-
Luc Godard. His first feature film “Breathless” (1960)
was shot without a script. He improvised the film as he
went along, sometimes writing dialogue and rehearsing
actors on the spot just before he would “roll cameras for
a take.”

7. Examples:
Cinema verite:
- "The War Room" (1993) is a great example of the
documentary that includes the technique cinema verite.
- The War Room is a behind-the-scenes look at the
politics of governor Bill Clinton. It followed everything
from the primaries to the presidential campaign.
- Some famous French examples of cinema verite are
“Chronicle of a Summer” (1961) by Jean Rouch and “Le
Joli Mai” (1962) by Chris Marker. A famous French film
director who was influenced by cinema verite was Jean-
Luc Godard. His first feature film “Breathless” (1960)
was shot without a script. He improvised the film as he
went along, sometimes writing dialogue and rehearsing
actors on the spot just before he would “roll cameras for
a take.”