D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus Retrospective

Something a bit special is happening right now. If you’re in the city you’ll probably know of at least half of it. But I’m not really talking about the sudden overpopulation of buskers, pop-up food vendors or Holden-clad ‘car people’ from somewhere beyond. I’m talking about film things, and this year the now-annual Australian International Documentary Conference has outdone itself in bringing D.A. Pennebaker and partner Chris Hegedus to town.

Best known for his Bob Dylan biography Don’t Look Back, Pennebaker is the cinema verite pioneer for our day and age. After it was filmed, he went on to document the whole Dylan tour of 1966, and from here it began – John Lennon, Jerry Lee Lewis, David Bowie on his ‘farewell’ tour in 1973, Depeche Mode, The National, a collaboration with Jean-Luc Godard resulting in One PM, and most importantly, Monterey Pop.

Each of his films, often made with his partner Hegedus, has a beauty and honesty that the doco kids in school are taught but can rarely duplicate. His first major film, Primary, was widely considered to be the first real insight into a Presidential race in America. He developed one of the first portable and synthesized 16mm systems, and in 2012 was awarded an Academy Honorary Award, a bit of a biggie.

Pennebaker and Hegedus are going to talk about their things in Elder Hall on Thursday night as a special event. I don’t want to have to convince you that this is something pretty special. As part of DocWeek at both the Palace and Mercury Cinemas, a retrospective is being held with his best works showing as part of a killer program. Please, go and see one, or go and see him – I promise it will be worth the popcorn teeth.