Visual and Experiential Knowledge in Observational Cinema

Abstract

Observational filmmaking methods discover and reveal the action of the subjects in the theatres of lived events. One of the hallmarks of unscripted films is a direct contact with experience. The observational approach is generally concerned with informal and intimate conversations, and with rendering visible the inner life of the subjects, including what they may leave unsaid. Observational films strive to achieve closeness in representing the experiences of the subjects, preserving a human scale of encounter between the filmmaker and the subjects to be seen and heard in the finished film. Ongoing events are recorded in the attempt to provide a glimpse of the subjects’ lives in their continuity; for this reason, the shooting is tailored to convey their sense of being in the world.