Chronicle of a Summer

A seminal documentary of huge historical importance (since it registers the birth of cinéma vérité), aesthetic value, and philosophical weight, Chronicle of a Summer in a way defines the aspiration of cinema to delve into the very core of human truth. Two visionary directors decide to descend upon the streets, turning their camera on simple everyday people and posing them fundamental questions about the nature of happiness, the meaning of life, and the purpose of our existence in the world. This endeavor proved beyond revolutionary for its time. Such a sudden incursion of the real into the film frame, however, could not but cause unrest: startled by the reactions of those taking part in their bold project, Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin came to realize that, at the end of the day, the truth will always be bothersome – either because we do not get enough of it, or because we find it too much to take. Another reason, then, why the documentary must keep on hunting after the truth.