Photo: Tribeca Film
Arriving in theaters in Los Angeles on August 17, On Demand on August 22 and elsewhere throughout the month and into September and October comes the new documentary Side by Side from director Chris Kenneally as he journeys through the past and the future of filmmaking with interviews with several prolific filmmakers with Keanu Reeves serving as the film's guide.
The major focus is on digital film taking over from the decades old standard and exploring the impact it has made. The interviews include the likes of James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Soderbergh and many more and today several outtakes from those interviews have been released online including brief bits with Lana and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix, Cloud Atlas), Martin Scorsese and his Taxi Driver cinematographer Michael Chapman, Wally Pfister (cinematographer on The Dark Knight Rises and Inception) and Steven Soderbergh. Already in just these brief snippets I'm ready to watch this film, which I will hopefully be able to fit in and watch this afternoon, and these are just the outtakes.
I was most intrigued by Soderbergh's comment saying:
"It seems hypocritical, if you're a creative person, to be saying 'no' to anything. Especially anything new. It's the definition of your job to be exploring; to be evolving; to create new knowledge. That's your job as an artist. I'm always surprised when people say 'no' or are taking a 'hand on hip' attitude about something new, whether it's a piece of technology or a piece of art that's just doing something different. I would never want to be perceived that way, as someone who's static, that's unnatural. Stasis is actually an unnatural form of being, because nothing in this universe is static. Everything is moving forward. It can't help it. Any idealogy that says, 'We are at the end of discovery about 'this thing'.' I just go, 'Well there's actually no evidence to suggest that's true.' We are always, in essence, at the beginning of infinity. No matter what we're talking about. There's always another iteration, there always will be and that's the fun of it."
It's easy to look at this and consider comments from Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino, both of whom profess their love of shooting on film exclusively, which leads to Pfister's comment saying, "The complexities of Chris Nolan's movies are in the story."
You also have the more dire comments such as when Chapman says, "Movies were the great art form of the 20th Century, but the 20th Century is over... Opera died because it became technologically obsolete."
Have movies become technologically obsolete or has film? Is there a chance the commercialism tied with the speed and ease of filmmaking nowadays on digital will in some ways lessen and or "kill" the art form we recognize as cinema? Does cheaper and easier necessarily mean better?
Soderbergh's statement above is a bit strange to me as I don't think a filmmaker's "job" is as black-and-white as he claims it to be. I don't believe filmmaking is entirely in the technology and I think digital filmmaking can be easily dismissed with a "hand on hip" attitude, especially if your focus is in telling stories and creating an emotional connection with the audience. I don't think you need a digital camera to do that and if it's a filmmaker's belief that effect can be greater achieved with film over digital does it really matter?
Check out the video outtakes below and you can watch the trailer at the bottom of this post.
Cannes 2013: Weinsteins Unveil Footage of 'Grace of Monaco', 'Salinger' and 'Mandela'
'The Past' (2013) Movie Review - Cannes Film Festival
'Frances Ha' (2013) Movie Review
Cannes 2013: 'Jimmy P.' Movie Trailer, Starring Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric
Watch: Full 'Europa Report' Trailer
'Jeune et Jolie' (2013) Movie Review - Cannes Film Festival
Cannes 2013: 'Seduced and Abandoned' Sneak Peek Clip
Final 'Pacific Rim' Trailer
Christopher Nolan Rumored to be in Informal Talks to Direct 'James Bond 24'
Cannes Podcast #1: Talking 'Heli', 'Fruitvale', 'Bling Ring', 'Congress' and 'The Past'
Surprised I hadn't heard of this until now. As someone trying to learn more about filmmaking, this seems like it's right up my alley.
I saw this documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival a few months back and absolutely loved it. (I believe I posted about it in one of the What I Watched columns.) I particularly enjoyed hearing Nolan's and Pfister's comments on the matter, and even the juxtaposing ones by someone like Cameron. This documentary is a must-see.
How have I not heard about this? I MUST watch this.
Love the lineup but the only one tha'ts missing that I wish was here is Michael Mann. I'm sure he has lots to say on this subject!!
Behind the Dark Knight Rises, this has been my most anticipated film of the year. Can't wait.
I don't think Mr. Chapman provided a lot of insight with his comment. First of all, Opera is still around and will continue to be around in some capacity.
The fact that its presence diminished has less today with it not being technologically up to the moment (has he seen some of the newer high tech operas?) and more to do with there being cheaper alternatives.
I would have liked to have seen Spielberg here too. The only man who has it both ways in ways that completely make sense (digital Tintin followed by Lincoln shot on film).
I must watch this.
I've always believed that technology has advanced the resources in which filmmakers are able to tell the stories they want. Whether the movie was shot on film or processed digitally, story is essential for it to be engaging--not the medium.
It's a shame Spielberg and Tarantino weren't included in this documentary given their strong opinions on the matter.
this docu must b a failure bcoz there is no Quentin tarantino in it