Sight & Sound Poll 2014: The Greatest Documentaries of All Time - Asif Kapadia's Picks
The Up Series (1964)
Paul Almond (Seven Up!) then Michael Apted
This series is incredible. The simplicity of the idea. The nerve of the filmmakers and the financiers to keep it going. It only improves with time. It is such an emotional experience, and says as much about the viewer as it does about the people featured.
Sans soleil (1982)
Chris Marker
Playing with memory, time, archive. I saw it as a student while at film school. Marker pushed the boundaries, rewrote the rules of filmmaking.
The Thin Blue Line (1989)
Errol Morris
Before I saw this film, I had no idea that a documentary could be a thriller, so cinematic and so dramatic.
Fourteen Days in May (1987)
Paul Hamann
I saw this on the BBC while still at school and was so angry afterwards with the injustice. Clive Stafford Smith became my hero; this film affected me in a way few dramas ever had. Films can be political, they should have something to say, they can make a difference, if you are brave enough.
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Steve James
An epic story of two ordinary kids following their dreams. My first experience of the master Steve James. Truth can be far more complex and emotional than fiction.
A Great Day in Harlem (1994)
Jean Bach
An entire movie created from a single image and a rostrum camera.
When We Were Kings (1996)
Leon J. Gast
My hero Ali captured in the prime of his life. One of the most charismatic men ever, I don't want to see an actor playing him. I don't want someone pretending to move like him, I want the real thing. Love the music, editing, the use of archive, Norman Mailer, the humour, the poetry!This film was my main reference while making Senna.
Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance (1983)
Godfrey Reggio
Pure cinema. Incredible images and music. I still dream about making a film like this one day.
Dark Days (2000)
Marc Singer
Love this incredible film. A friend gave me the DVD – I was really into DJ Shadow at the time and knew his music had been used in the film. I sat at home alone, watched it, then watched every deleted scene, then watched it over again, cried buckets. The story behind the making of the film is every bit as emotional and powerful as what is on screen.
The Act of Killing (2012)
Joshua Oppenheimer
The most recent film on my list. I've never seen anything quite like this. Astonishing. Shocking. Brave filmmaking.
https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sight-sound-magazine/greatest-docs-full-poll/#/?poll=combined&voter=d96d5e
Paul Almond (Seven Up!) then Michael Apted
This series is incredible. The simplicity of the idea. The nerve of the filmmakers and the financiers to keep it going. It only improves with time. It is such an emotional experience, and says as much about the viewer as it does about the people featured.
Sans soleil (1982)
Chris Marker
Playing with memory, time, archive. I saw it as a student while at film school. Marker pushed the boundaries, rewrote the rules of filmmaking.
The Thin Blue Line (1989)
Errol Morris
Before I saw this film, I had no idea that a documentary could be a thriller, so cinematic and so dramatic.
Fourteen Days in May (1987)
Paul Hamann
I saw this on the BBC while still at school and was so angry afterwards with the injustice. Clive Stafford Smith became my hero; this film affected me in a way few dramas ever had. Films can be political, they should have something to say, they can make a difference, if you are brave enough.
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Steve James
An epic story of two ordinary kids following their dreams. My first experience of the master Steve James. Truth can be far more complex and emotional than fiction.
A Great Day in Harlem (1994)
Jean Bach
An entire movie created from a single image and a rostrum camera.
When We Were Kings (1996)
Leon J. Gast
My hero Ali captured in the prime of his life. One of the most charismatic men ever, I don't want to see an actor playing him. I don't want someone pretending to move like him, I want the real thing. Love the music, editing, the use of archive, Norman Mailer, the humour, the poetry!This film was my main reference while making Senna.
Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance (1983)
Godfrey Reggio
Pure cinema. Incredible images and music. I still dream about making a film like this one day.
Dark Days (2000)
Marc Singer
Love this incredible film. A friend gave me the DVD – I was really into DJ Shadow at the time and knew his music had been used in the film. I sat at home alone, watched it, then watched every deleted scene, then watched it over again, cried buckets. The story behind the making of the film is every bit as emotional and powerful as what is on screen.
The Act of Killing (2012)
Joshua Oppenheimer
The most recent film on my list. I've never seen anything quite like this. Astonishing. Shocking. Brave filmmaking.
https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sight-sound-magazine/greatest-docs-full-poll/#/?poll=combined&voter=d96d5e
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