Also referred to as free cinema or direct cinema, cinema verité is a French term that means “true cinema” or “cinema truth.” It is a style of filmmaking in documentaries which consists of long takes and minimal directing or editing, and is often made with no actors and a spare film crew, with a small amount of equipment. Other elements typically identified with cinema verité are portable sound equipment, the handheld camera, and impromptu interview techniques.
Albert Maysles and D. A. Pennebaker are two directors often associated with cinema verité. Pennebaker made Don’t Look Back (1965), which covered Bob Dylan on a tour of England in 1965, and other concert films, such as Monterey Pop (1968) and Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1973). Maysles, with his brother, David, made such films as Salesman (1968), Gimme Shelter (1969), and Grey Gardens (1976).