When you hear the word "documentary", a few names immediately come to mind. Two of those names might be Werner Herzog ('Burden of Dreams') or Michael Moore ('Bowling For Columbine'). A third name, which has made some of the most influential, interesting, and informative documentaries is Errol Morris. Morris even created a new kind of camera system for his documentaries called the Interrotron, which the filmmaking industry continues to use today.
This Interrotron allows Morris and his subjects to discuss a variety of topics through the actual camera lens itself. In Morris's more recent films, this technique is used more often than not, but one thing has remained constant, which is Morris relies on straight up interviews rather than a narration to tell whatever story he is trying to tell. But before Morris's bigger known films, such as 'The Thin Blue Line' or 'The Unknown Known', he made a couple of amazing documentaries back in the late 70s and early 80s called 'Gates of Heaven' and 'Vernon, Florida'. The documentaries put Morris on everyone's map as a talented filmmaker to look out for in the future. These two early films set the stage for the unique and uncompromising film career of Errol Morris.
'Gates of Heaven' follows a couple of families and their pet cemetery businesses in California. Without the use of a narrative or even narration or a score, Morris only interviews these families and other people about their thoughts on putting their beloved pets to rest. The result is a charming, funny, and bittersweet outlook on the relationship between humans and their pets. Through these interviews, Morris gets a glimpse of what life means to the common people of America and how business and industry affect our emotions and decisions in these difficult times. It seems like a strange subject to document, but when Morris found out that one of these pet cemeteries had to close down, and the hundreds of buried pets had to be dug up and moved to another location, he thought it would make for an engaging film where people might think of their pets as a member of the family and deserve the same rights as humans. I know I agree with this.
This Interrotron allows Morris and his subjects to discuss a variety of topics through the actual camera lens itself. In Morris's more recent films, this technique is used more often than not, but one thing has remained constant, which is Morris relies on straight up interviews rather than a narration to tell whatever story he is trying to tell. But before Morris's bigger known films, such as 'The Thin Blue Line' or 'The Unknown Known', he made a couple of amazing documentaries back in the late 70s and early 80s called 'Gates of Heaven' and 'Vernon, Florida'. The documentaries put Morris on everyone's map as a talented filmmaker to look out for in the future. These two early films set the stage for the unique and uncompromising film career of Errol Morris.
'Gates of Heaven' follows a couple of families and their pet cemetery businesses in California. Without the use of a narrative or even narration or a score, Morris only interviews these families and other people about their thoughts on putting their beloved pets to rest. The result is a charming, funny, and bittersweet outlook on the relationship between humans and their pets. Through these interviews, Morris gets a glimpse of what life means to the common people of America and how business and industry affect our emotions and decisions in these difficult times. It seems like a strange subject to document, but when Morris found out that one of these pet cemeteries had to close down, and the hundreds of buried pets had to be dug up and moved to another location, he thought it would make for an engaging film where people might think of their pets as a member of the family and deserve the same rights as humans. I know I agree with this.