Errol Morris: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

ABOUT THE SERIES:

The American Cinematheque is thrilled to welcome celebrated American documentarian Errol Morris in person for a retrospective as part of the 2nd annual edition of ‘This Is Not a Fiction’ festival centered around his newest film, CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS. Morris has dedicated decades of his filmmaking career to epistemologically examining a variety of subjects, all of which boil down to humanizing individuals and interrogating the complex desires, values, and curiosities that dictate human behavior in a myriad of existences, landing his work in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art.

Morris’ emergence as one of the most intriguing filmmakers working in the documentary form began with the completion of his first film – championed by Roger Ebert as one of the 10 best films of all time – GATES OF HEAVEN, a touching portrait of two pet cemeteries in Northern California that quietly highlights the many beautiful and amusing idiosyncrasies of the individuals involved and explores the inexplicable bond humans have with our pets. He followed his masterful debut with VERNON, FLORIDA, which was funded by a $2,000 donation from filmmaker Werner Herzog, a clear vote of confidence from the legendary documentarian. Morris’ sophomore film is an intimate depiction of the eccentric residents of a town seemingly isolated from the modern world – a community filled with passion and enigma. Having assuredly developed an unparalleled humanist eye, Morris went on to implement his uncompromising humanism into active investigation with THE THIN BLUE LINE, redefining the documentary genre as a form of journalistic activism, culminating with an Oscar for THE FOG OF WAR.

A common throughline characterized in Morris’ brilliance is his tendency to look past the subject presented to him, in search of a greater, more human truth hidden beneath the surface. In A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME, Stephen Hawking’s life is not bound only by his incomparable genius as a physicist, but rather encompasses his person, in totality. Similarly, FAST, CHEAP & OUT OF CONTROL steers clear of limiting its subjects to their apparent eccentricity, and instead creates an open-ended inquiry into humanity’s ineffable relation with nature, allowing unrepented ideas, dreams, and fears to flow from the minds of those who dedicate their lives to considering such a relationship but who have unfairly been dismissed for doing so.