William Greaves journeys to the wilds of Central Park to film a scene of a couple having an argument. As this is happening, a film crew documents Greaves’ seemingly chaotic process while another crew films passersby in the park reacting to the process. When this provokes Greaves’ crew to react, you get the ultimate meta-meta-meta documentary, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One which we attempt to unravel in this episode.
About the Series
Documentary: Fact or Fiction? examines how nonfiction representation has evolved from early experimentations through the impact of television journalism to the emergence of new media.
Rather than provide a chronological history of documentary, the series will focus on films that raise questions about nonfiction representation and its implications for filmmakers, subjects, and viewers. Issues such as testimony, performance, reflexivity and ethics will be addressed, all of which serve to deepen the complex discourse of cinematic realism.
Series Host: Dr. Ted Barron
Dr. Ted Barron is the Executive Director of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and Judd and Mary Lou Leighton Director of the Performing Arts. He teaches courses on global cinema history, documentary film, and German film.
