A screening series, FACING REALITIES: Dialogues in Boston Documentary Filmmaking examines the connections between the earliest innovators and contemporary Boston documentary filmmakers who continue to explore the risk and friction that occur when film meets reality. [more]
by Scott MacDonald, Consulting Scholar [bio]
During the past fifty years, the Boston area has come to be recognized as the fountainhead of American documentary filmmaking. [more]
by Peter Dowd, Consulting Curator
The pairing of Ross McElwee's Backyard (1984) and Nina Davenport's Operation Filmmaker (2007) offers evidence of Boston's continuing legacy of innovative documentary filmmaking, and two filmmakers committed to challenging the boundaries of non-fiction film.
The post-film discussion between Gardner, Gillooly and MacDonald has been archived on video and MP3.

June 12th, 2008, Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, 6:30pm
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An inspired, lyrical take on the South, a physician’s expectations for his two sons, a mother’s death, black and white relations, and the documentary form itself. Backyard is more about what's not said than what's said, what's not done than what's done. [more] |
A film chronicling the journey of an Iraqi man featured on MTV following the bombardment of his film school. This is the story of how well-intentioned Americans try to intervene in the life of an Iraqi – and how nothing goes as planned. [more] |
Following the second film: Will be a discussion between filmmakers Ross McElwee
Nina Davenport and Peter Dowd.
6:30pm - 6:40pm |
Introductions Backyard
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FILM & REALITY BOSTON DOCUMENTARY • FACING REALITY: Dialogues in Boston Filmmaking | ![]() |