History of documentary films

May 25, 2022

This article was first published by Louisiana Cultural Vistas. View the original at louisianaculturalvistas.org.

Election Day, March 1986, and we’re filming on a cold, late afternoon in the bleak and mostly deserted Desire Housing projects. Mayoral hopeful Bill Jefferson is looking for hands to shake and I ask my cameraman to follow close behind him, make him look like Moses parting the waters of the few curious spectators. Around a corner, some teenagers are playing basketball on a pitted rectangle of blacktop. Jefferson takes a shot, an awkward air ball, then removes his sports jacket and swooshes the next one thru a net that’s torn and hanging by a couple of threads. “What a shot” someone yells. Then he walks off into the distance and we leave to go film other places before the light fades and the polls close.

Driving out of the projects, we see an old man walking down the street, pulling up campaign signs and stakes, one by one. He wants the wood. We pull ahead of him, quickly get the camera on a tripod, just in time to frame him. Picking up one sign. Then another. Then a third. Then moving out of frame. And suddenly, off camera, he pulls a sign off its stake, one of Jefferson’s, and tosses it into air behind him so that it, and Jeff’s image, falls softly back into the picture.

— Among Brothers: Politics in New Orleans (1986)

It was the kind of magic moment that you wish for in filming documentaries. It also reminds me of my own excitement back then, being a transplant in New Orleans, a place whose history, music, culture, whose everything seemed begging to be filmed in my young filmmaker’s eyes.

data in motion continuous improvement finance sector successful development fintech news business leader city for you team entrepreneur the last vacation self motivation definition inspirational quotes you need largest companies houston snatch tv cast big vacation family vacation kpcb cities in canada developmental pediatrician san antonio city book december vacation fintech vs banks financial services industry trends 2019 startup service entrepreneurs help how 2 vacation shopping trips entrepreneurship development cycle china entrepreneurs m m motor best business quotes ever my city someone who starts a business is called ninety day ticker startup goals team motor fun entrepreneurs a startup of you american venture capitalist say fintech about startup development dimensions international progression chart checklist words that describe growth vacations for couples developmental stages of children most entrepreneurs entrepreneurs for kids virginia independent cities in ohio that start with d you will love her positivity vacation company there is no there there city help entrepreneurs mobile startup inspirational quotes brainy motion time it in finance cities next to cave creek az developmental disabilities statistics interprener we're on vacation web entrepreneurs fintech tutorial
Source: www.pbs.org
RELATED VIDEO
Documentary Films: History of the Machine Gun
Documentary Films: History of the Machine Gun
Full Documentary Films - History of The World in 2 Hours
Full Documentary Films - History of The World in 2 Hours ...
Secret History of Airships - Documentary Films
Secret History of Airships - Documentary Films
RELATED FACTS
Share this Post