At its heart, cinéma vérité — or direct cinema — is about capturing life as it’s really lived. Pioneered in the mid-20th century, when lightweight cameras and sound equipment became available, it stripped away narration, interviews, and experts, allowing filmmakers to fade into the background. But in an age when we’re constantly documenting our own lives, what role does this kind of filmmaking play today?
The new film A New Kind of Wilderness from filmmaker Silje Evensmo Jacobsen may provide an answer. The documentary follows a family coping with the loss of their matriarch as they navigate the practical questions and emotional terrain that emerge after such a profound change.
The film is intimate and compassionate, and it really stayed with me. I found myself moved by the family’s story and by the quiet beauty of the way it’s told. It’s a tender film that I don’t think I’ll forget anytime soon.
Today, I’m joined by filmmaker Silje Evensmo Jacobsen to talk about how this story came into her life.
