Kirsten Johnson’s sense of framing has produced several pioneering documentaries such as “Citizenfour,” showcasing the life of Edward Snowden prior to the massive leak of national security documents; “The Invisible War,” about sexual assault in the military and several others. These documentaries span a whole spectrum of persistent, contemporary issues that hinder the progress of society. The “Cameraman” is a skillfully woven tapestry of snippets from 24 of Johnson’s projects. Testament to the significance of these images is Johnson’s introductory note, “These are the images that marked me.”
As the movie begins, the viewer is conditioned to expect extraordinary footage from the very first second, with no interference, whatsoever, from the personnel …show more content…
This involuntary expression would have been completely unremarkable had this been amateur footage. In this case, acknowledging the presence of another human being is akin to a violation. The professionalism evident in the rest of the shot is in such contrast to the unintentional, amateurish ‘gasp,’ that Johnson, focuses on this violation. This further underscores the fact that the documentary is nothing more than a collection of ‘leftovers.’ It is a string of images that were rejected. Although these ‘leftovers’ have left an indelible mark on Johnson, on their own, these images mean nothing to a casual observer. That said, when brought together in an autobiographical documentary, the transition from one to another imposes a relation between the images. The cohesiveness that binds all the independent scenes, adds tremendous meaning to the documentary and allows the reader to sympathize, if not empathize, with Johnson’s professional and private journey. All the seemingly disconnected or disparate scenes, coagulate due to the implied presence of Johnson in every scene. The effort that goes into perfecting a shot, is on