While better known for directing fantastical features such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep, French filmmaker Michel Gondry has also churned out a few nonfiction works, including the new animated documentary Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy?. After having its world premiere last night as DOC NYC’s closing selection, this complex film centered around an interview with Noam Chomsky is officially in theatrical release.
I interviewed Gondry this week about the doc, and you can find that conversation here in a few days. For now, we’d like to share a shortlist of favorite documentaries and documentarians he named for us to recommend to readers. First, though, here is what he had to say about why he likes watching documentaries in general:
“I find them very fun, more entertaining than fiction films often. Documentaries keep me very awake.”
A Brief History of Time (Errol Morris, 1991)
“I love all Errol Morris.”
Dirty Wars (Rick Rowley, 2013)
“I just saw Dirty Wars, and I find it really enlightening and horrifying at the same time.”
Hoop Dreams (Steve James, 1994)
“Quite depressing but very engaging.”
Salesman (Albert and David Maysles, 1968)
Anything by Raymond Depardon
“One of the most prominent filmmakers in France.”
