Stockholm International Film Festival
Official Selection
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Great Directors2009
Ten of the greatest filmmakers in the world passionately discuss their craft in Angela Ismailos' hugely entertaining documentary GREAT DIRECTORS. Bernardo Bertolucci, David Lynch, Stephen Frears, Agnès Varda, Ken Loach, Liliana Cavani, Todd Haynes, Catherine Breillat, Richard Linklater and John Sayles open up about their extraordinary careers with unexpected candor and humor. Ismailos gets them to talk about their artistic evolution from their debut works to their recent triumphs, as well as the role that politics and history play in their films. David Lynch discusses how Mel Brooks netted him his job on THE ELEPHANT MAN as well as his travails with the studio on DUNE. And they all honor their influences, from Todd Haynes on Fassbinder and Breillat on Ingmar Bergman, to Lynch on Billy Wilder and Hitchcock. GREAT DIRECTORS is an illuminating and surprising crash course on the state of contemporary cinema, and an example for where it might be headed.
What makes this film worth watching?
"...provides a chance to travel into the minds of ten of the world’s most celebrated film directors." - Brandon Harris, Filmmaker Magazine
2 members like this review
Incredibly well-done. The director of this doc knows to stand back, letting the scenes and speakers do the work. Feels unrushed, conversational, and uncorrelated in a surprising manner. It's a damn fine look out of some windows that beg a wander.
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Member Reviews (6)
Incredibly well-done. The director of this doc knows to stand back, letting the scenes and speakers do the work. Feels unrushed, conversational, and uncorrelated in a surprising manner. It's a damn fine look out of some windows that beg a wander.
2 members like this review
top reviewer
Well done. Interesting things are shared. Very stimulating viewing.
Unbelievable. I now have about 10,000 films I need to watch. Absolutely brilliantly shot, and the interviews, timing, film excerpts, everything, couldn't be better and more inspiring.
The directors inevitably offer up interesting insight into their philosophies, and why they work the way they do, but the potential is brought to a near dead-stop by random editing choices and confusing sequencing.
A diverse group of cinematographers, simple but very well done documentary and Angela Ismailos' perception is unique with interesting questions about their creative practices. It is also good to see Agnes Varda, Catherine Breillat and Liliana Cavani speaking of their works. Lots of good references for further watching.
Excellent gathering of the greats, and really good insights into what makes a film truly cinematic.