La Mise en scène documentaire
Robert Flaherty, "L'Homme d'Aran" et le documentaire
Gilles Delavaud
1994 - 92 min - Vidéo - Couleur - France

The first part of this film analyses "The Man of Aran" (1934) by Robert Flaherty and describes his method of film-making. The second part attemps a history of the methods of documentary both classical and modern taken from significant examples. The questions of voices-off, the maker's commitment, his approach to the people filmed are all tackled with appropriate examples.
Flaherty invented the documentary film with "Nanook, the Esquimo". "The Man of Aran" is filmed with the same principles : complicity with the people filmed, the setting-up of what cannot be filmed "live", the progression of the filming linked to the showing of the rushes. Flaherty doesn't film what he sees, he sees what he films. The editing creates suspense in the viewer by the rapid succession of shots on the screen. Flaherty has been followed by other great film-makers of whose work extracts are given : Vertov, Rouquier, Rouch, Marker, Leacock, Depardon, Van der Keuken.