简介：Fourdocumentaryfilmmakers,fourtalks,fourkeyplayersoftheGermandocumentaryfilmmovementsincethe60s:JürgenBöttcher,VolkerKoepp,PeterNestlerundKlausWildenhahn.Eachofthemhasdevelopedanownapproachtofilmmakingandapersonalstyle.ChristophHübner,adocumentaryfilmmakerhimself,succeedsinportrayingfourverydifferentpersonalities,theirworksandtheirtheories.Theintimatetalkswiththefilmmakersareillustratedwithclipsoftheirfilms. DasWarten(Waiting)isthetitleofafilmbyPeterNestler,oneofthedirectorsinterviewedinthisseries.Waitingiscrucialtoanytypeofdocumentarywork.Theabilitytowaitfortherightmoment,therightlight,arevealingsituation;theabilitytowaitforthatephemeralflashoftruthoneperpetuallyendeavourstocaptureadocumentaryisinconceivablewithoutit. Theabilitytowait,patience,anattentiveearandcarefulquestioning,allowingtimeforthoughtstounfoldwhilestayingcuriousandopentounexpecteddevelopmentsItoolettheseattributesguidemyconversationswithfellowdocumentaryfilmmakers. Ihaveknownallofthemforquitesometime,amfriendswithsomeandmanyofthemhaveinfluencedmyownwork.Nonetheless,ithasneverbeforebeensocleartomethatdocumentaryworkisanauthorialundertakingand,assuch,isalwayscharacterizedbyanindividualendproductandsubjectivestance.Infact,theseconversationsrevealanimagewhichcontraststraditionalideasofthedocumentaryasnothingmorethanthereproductionofhappenings,fixingacameraonsomething,"objectivereporting". Documentaryasauthorialfilm;inthepeculiarityofitssubjectmatter,butalsowithregardstoform.Peopledonotnormallyexpectanyparticularattentiontoquestionsofformindocumentaries;itis,however,verystronglyform-orientedworkbecausetherearenotemplatestofollow,noroutinestofallbackon.Eachfilm,everysubjectmatter,eachdocumentarynarrativehastoreinventasuitableform.Especiallywithregardstomontage,anendeavourwhichisoftenmoredifficult,time-consumingandexactingforlongdocumentariesthanforafeaturefilmofthesamelengthwhosestoryhasalreadybeendefinedinascript.Fordocumentariesthenarrativeor"script",ifyouwill,iscommonlyfirstconceivedwhilesittingattheeditor'sdeskandsixmonthstoayearareoftenneededtocutthefilm.Thoseviewingthefilmseldomnoticetheintensiveformalworkbehindtheendproduct.ThisiswhyIfeltitwasnecessarytofinallytalkpubliclyaboutthisaspectofdocumentaryfilmmaking,itsaesthetic,or"artsy"side. Incomparisontowhatweareaccustomedto,themanneroftheconversationsisasvariedaseachauthor'ssignature.ThisiswhyIhavecalledthem"conversations"andnotinterviews,becauseaconversationentailsacollectiveflow:thepartnersletitunfold,followtrainsandrhythmsofthoughtandspeech;reciprocalintuitionandcommoninterestsarerespected. Thismightjustbetheartofconversationindocumentaryfilm,ifwewishtocallitanart:creatingaspacewhichallowstheothertounfoldnaturally,lettingtheirattitudesandpacecometotheforefront.WhatIparticularlyvalueaboutmakingdocumentariesisthepossibilitytodiscover,tobesurprised.AndItismyutterconvictionthatifavestigeofthistypeofexpedition,oftheunexpected,isbroughttobearinthefinishedproduct,thedirectorwillhavewonovertheviewer.…