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cinéma vérité
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Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, with her dog, Toto, from the motion picture film The Wizard of Oz (1939); directed by Mervyn LeRay. (cinema, movies)
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French:
“truth cinema”
Key People:
John Cassavetes
Related Topics:
film
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cinéma vérité

French film movement
Also known as: truth cinema
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

cinéma vérité, French film movement of the 1960s that showed people in everyday situations with authentic dialogue and naturalness of action. Rather than following the usual technique of shooting sound and pictures together, the filmmaker first tapes actual conversations, interviews, and opinions. After selecting the best material, he or she films the visual material to fit the sound, often using a handheld camera. The film is then put together in the cutting room.

British documentaries in the 20th century, the neorealist movement of post-World War II Italy, and the British “free” documentaries of the 1950s that dealt with the significance of ordinary situations influenced the development of the French cinĂ©ma vĂ©ritĂ©. The movement was criticized for too often degenerating into reportage rather than artistic expression. Nevertheless, it continued the movement toward greater realism in films and demonstrated a different approach to documentary film making. Outstanding examples of French cinĂ©ma vĂ©ritĂ© are Jean Rouch’s Chronique d’un Ă©tĂ© (1961; Chronicle of a Summer) and Chris Marker’s Le Joli Mai (1963; “The Lovely Month of May”).

The invention of relatively inexpensive, portable, but thoroughly professional 16-mm equipment—and the synchronous sound recorder—facilitated the development of a similar movement in the United States at just about the same time. Sometimes called cinema veritĂ© and sometimes simply “direct cinema,” its goal was essentially the capturing of the reality of a person, a moment, or an event without any rearrangement for the camera. Leading American practitioners were Ricky Leacock (Primary, 1960), Frederick Wiseman (Titicut Follies, 1967), Donn Pennebaker (Monterey Pop, 1968), and the Maysles brothers (Salesman, 1969).

Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, with her dog, Toto, from the motion picture film The Wizard of Oz (1939); directed by Mervyn LeRay. (cinema, movies)
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.