SXSW: The possibilities of documentary portraiture
Before saying goodbye to SXSW 2021, I'd like to shine a light on some of the documentaries presented at this online edition of the festival. As it happens, many of the most interesting films I saw from the selection were docs, specifically the sort of non-fiction cinema that functions as a portrait of the individual. At the very least, the sort that presents itself as such. From idiosyncratic political profiles to feats of music journalism, from straight biography to epistemological investigations, the filmmakers of SXSW showcased the possibilities of documentary portraiture…