Go Directly to the Cinema on Saturday

Last weekend I mentioned the documentary style "direct cinema" when discussing the film about Chicago's Maxwell Street Market, And This Is Free, which was recently released on DVD. (Direct cinema is where the camera acts as a fly-on-the-wall and tries to observe the action. Plus there's no omniscient narrator.)

A pioneering example of this style will be projected this Saturday at the UW Cinematheque - Primary. It follows JFK and Hubert H. Humphrey around Wisconsin during the Democratic Presidential primary in 1960. The scene of Humphrey standing by himself on a corner in downtown Tomah shaking hands with passers-by is one that always stands out for me. It contrasts sharply with the highly-polished shots of candidates these days who are constantly surrounded by a retinue of advisors and security personnel.



The film is only an hour so it won't cut too drastically into your Saturday night partying schedule.