This 30-minute documentary offers a pretty nice and illuminating overview on the music documentaries made by D.A. Pennbaker as well as his earlier shorts that helped shape his style and perspective as a filmmaker. Pennebaker reveals that he prefers to do docs on musicians who are in it mostly for the music and just want to perform. Moreover, Pennebaker admits that he considers narration to be the death of theater and prefers to be more on an observer than a director who tries to dictate what happens. In addition, Pennebaker receives praise for his innovative use of the zoom lens and how he gets his hand-held camera to move like a person. In addition, we also learn that his short doc "Jane" was a template for "Don't Look Back" and that "Don't Look Back" might be Pennebaker's most important film because it captured a special moment in time in Bob Dylan's life and career. Recommended viewing for Pennebaker fans.
Review of D.A. Pennebaker: A Look Back
