Documentary
American
1960 · Directed by Robert Drew · 53 min
In the spring of 1960, two Democratic senators, John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey, compete in the Wisconsin presidential primary. A small team with lightweight cameras follows both men through handshakes, car rides, speeches and waiting rooms, with almost no commentary.
Why it matters in cinema history
A defining work of direct cinema, the American strand of observational documentary. It shifted documentary away from narrated, staged argument toward watching events unfold, and it changed how television and film treat politics.
Watch with intention
Watch it as a documentary that tries to hide its own authorship, then ask what the camera's choices still tell you.
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