SUBJECT – Review by Pam Grady

There is a built-in irony in this provocative documentary. Its subject, as the title so baldly states, is the subjects of documentaries and how these films continue to impact their lives long after the circus of filmmaking has moved on and a curious public has had an intimate glimpse into their lives. While the filmmakers Camilla Hall and Jennifer Tiexiera’s boldly interview documentary filmmakers like Davis Guggenheim and Sam Pollard and others involved in exhibiting or commenting on documentary film, much of Subject is devoted to the testimonies of documentary subjects themselves. For some, the experience of being the subject of a documentary film was positive or at least neutral, but for others, participation had life long devastating impact. In Jesse Friedman’s case, Capturing the Friedmans had initial positives, not the least of which was the film’s role in freeing him from prison. But 20 years on, the negatives of becoming known for his role in a documentary continue to weigh heavily on him. The same is true for Margaret Ratliff, forever associated with the true-crime series The Staircase and the subsequent narrative series of the same name. Yet, for all that, both of these ‘subjeccts’ not only agreed to take part in Subject, they also serve as producers of this revelatory documentary. The doc is a fascinating film, creating more questions about the ethics of documentary filmmaking even as it attempts to find answers to one of documentary makers’ most basic quandaries and becoming part of that ethical argument itself.

Photo: Stilll from Hoop Dreams