Introduction - Text
The aesthetic of “direct cinema” takes up the lived experience of its participants. Thanks to the possibilities afforded by the “lightweight synchronous cinema group” (Mario Ruspoli), in the 1960s it became possible to create audiovisual documents of this experience. The portability and mobility of this new shooting equipment opened the door to recording speech and synchronous sound on site.
The goal of the present parcours is to give an account of and rethink research around both technical developments in direct cinema in the 1960s and the impact and lasting relevance of this moment in film history by paying particular attention to the relations between technology, filmmakers’ practices and film form. The goal is thus to understand both the technological and aesthetic implications on the one hand and the cultural and socio-political implications on the other of the moment when direct cinema emerged worldwide.
