Anyone who has a true passion for the world of film is arguably just as interested in the person behind the camera as they are in those that appear on-screen. Behind every movie that’s ever made you laugh, cry, jump in fear, or scratch your head, there is a person (or many people) who have fought hard to bring their creative vision to life — and each of them has been on their own specific journey in order to do so. Some of those people have been lucky enough to repeat the painstaking process of creating something from nothing many times over the course of their careers, and have become some of the most celebrated filmmakers of all time. The following documentaries do a deep dive into seven of those directors.
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7 Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny (2016)
Sundance Selects
Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny is a 2016 documentary by acclaimed directors Louis Black and Karen Bernstein that highlights the unique career of filmmaker Richard Linklater. Linklater is known for his small-budget independent films that focus heavily on themes of time passing and coming-of-age. Despite his desire to keep his distance from traditional Hollywood studios, Linklater has been widely accepted as one of the great directors of our time with projects under his belt like cult-classic Dazed and Confused, Boyhood, which was filmed over the course of 12 years, and the well-loved Before trilogy. Dream is Destiny features interviews with several collaborators that Linklater works with often, including Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, and Jack Black, among others. This documentary lets viewers into Linklater’s fascinating and specific approach to filmmaking and is an interesting watch for anyone who loves the magic of movie-making.
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6 Hal (2018)
Oscilloscope Laboratories
Hal is a 2018 documentary by director Amy Soctt that celebrates the life and work of film director Hal Ashby. Ashby is often associated with the New Hollywood era of filmmaking, which occurred between the 1960s and 1980s, and focused on young filmmakers who were rising to prominence and taking more control over their own projects. Ashby won the Oscar for Best Film Editing in 1968 for his work on In the Heat of the Night, and was nominated for two other Academy Awards throughout his career. In later years, significant contention between Ashby and many Hollywood studios regarding alleged drug use made him nearly unemployable in the industry, and his reputation and work experienced a sharp decline. Hal sheds a light on the ups and downs that Ashby experienced in both his personal and professional life. The documentary was named one of the 10 Best Documentaries of 2018 by Rolling Stone and was nominated for Producers Guild Award.
5 The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013)
Toho
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness is a 2013 Japanese documentary film by Mami Sunada which highlights the animation film studio called Studio Ghibli. The movie focuses specifically on filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki as they work on two films, The Wind Rises and the Tale of the Princess Kaguya. This documentary offers great insight into the painstaking task of storyboarding, sketching, inking, and painting that Miyazaki completed for these projects, and the detail required in animation filmmaking in general. It also delves into the personal life of Miyazaki and how his own experiences have helped shape his success. The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness is a profound look into a very specific process and will leave any cinephile with a greater appreciation for the work of Studio Ghibli.
4 Cameraperson (2016)
Janus Films
Cameraperson is an autobiographical collage documentary from director Kirsten Johnson, who is a champion of the medium. Using footage captured throughout her career in locations across the globe, Johnson puts together a comprehensive tale about her life and passion for cinematography, which has included both documentaries and feature films. Cameraperson was praised for its exploration of documentary ethics and features Johnson prominently as she looks back on her own experiences working on projects such as The Oath, about Osama bin Laden’s driver Abu Jandal; and Citizenfour about whistleblower Edward Snowden, among others. Cameraperson premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016 and has received over 20 international awards and was nominated for many more.
3 Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011)
A&E IndieFilms
Corman’s World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel is a 2011 documentary from director Alex Stapleton, which highlights the work of acclaimed independent filmmaker Roger Corman in the 1960s and ‘70s. There are several prominent Hollywood figures interviewed in the film, including Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Quentin Tarantino, and Bruce Dern, among others. These talking heads discuss Corman’s uniqueness as a filmmaker and how his forward-thinking ideas led him to create his own film studio when his projects pushed the boundaries of the industry at the time. Corman was not always the easiest person to work alongside or even to watch, but this documentary highlights the director’s passion and ingenuity in the art of movie-making, despite his sometimes frustrating nature. Corman’s World was highly praised by critics and is a must-see for anyone who is a fan of subverting the norm and making one’s own mark.
2 Hitchcock/Truffaut (2015)
Cohen Media Group
Hitchcock/Truffaut is a 2015 documentary directed by film critic Kent Jones, based on the François Truffaut book of the same name. Truffaut was himself a director, screenwriter, actor, and critic who is widely celebrated as one of the founders of French New Wave cinema. He spent a series of days in 1962 interviewing one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, Alfred Hitchcock. Using recordings from their original conversation, the documentary brings to life Hitchcock’s approach to film, in his own words. The movie also contains interviews with other prominent filmmakers including Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Wes Anderson, and Richard Linklater, among others. Hitchcock/Truffaut was lauded by many and was nominated for a Golden Eye at the Cannes Film Festival. The documentary is a moving tribute to a masterful creator and should be a required viewing for any film buff.
Miramax
A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies is a three-part documentary series released in 1995 in which acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese delves into some of his favorite films based on the type of director they had. The series is broken up into sections, including The Director’s Dilemma, The Director as Storyteller, The Director as Illusionist, The Director as Smuggler, and The Director as Iconoclast, and features analysis of more than 100 classic films. A Personal Journey discusses everything from editing techniques, to the introduction of sound and color to films, to how to construct a Western, to directors who hid messages in their films or broke social norms with their work. Rather than feeling like a film school lecture, this documentary is more indicative of sitting down with a fellow cinephile, who truly loves the art of movie-making and wants to share that passion with others.
