When presented with the task of making a nonfiction film, in other words a film about reality, we filmmakers are going to constantly bump up against truth-suppressing forces. When done well, a good documentary will break through one or more of those barriers to truth, resulting in powerful and refreshing, although sometimes painful, experiences of real life. That struggle is what this book is about. I have come to believe that documentary film, in seeking to uncover these aspects of truth, is a kind of antidote to the all-too-prevalent tendency towards truth suppression inherent in the human condition. As we will discover, thoughtful, insightful, careful investigation of that which is real, explored through the medium of film, tends to lead us towards healing more often than not.
– from the upcoming book “How to Film the Truth: The Story of Documentary Film As a Spiritual Journey” to be released in the Spring of 2018 by Wipf & Stock