Last Wednesday, we had a dinner conversation with Marshall Curry, a Brooklyn-based filmmaker of Academy Award nominated documentaries such Street Fight and If a Tree Falls. When I first signed up for the event, I had very little knowledge about filmmaking and documentaries, but I was excited to learn something new. One of the lasting impressions I had was that Curry was a great story teller- I was absorbed in the account of his career path and from the beginning to the current. Curry had no intention of becoming a documentary film maker, let alone an Academy Award nominee. He was a religious studies major in college and wanted to become a teacher. Then he went to Mexico with a couple of friends and later decided to make a film for fun and follow his passion because why not? The unknown film project about a local election Curry started out of a hobby would go on to become an Academy Award nominee, but not without hard work, rejection, and years of editing.
Documenting the Art of Life with Marshall Curry
Curry then talked about what made a good documentary. One thing he mentioned was that he liked stories that had a clear beginning and end, so as one is constructing and editing, there is at least some structure built in. However, the topic must also be complex. The viewers should be wondering “whats next” at every point, because complex topics are not predictable. A charismatic main character is also a plus. I really enjoyed our conversation with Curry, his story and insight into the art of documentary filmmaking/navigating the unknown has left a lasting impression on me.