Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, Take One

director: William Greaves

original title: Symbiopsychotaxiplasm, Take One

year: 1968

running time: 75 min.

synopsis

A documentary documenting documentary work on a documentary – this overcomplicated description sometimes characterizes the experimental cinéma vérité film by William Greaves, a great tribute to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. Thanks to the parallel work of three independent crews, the audition for a fictional film taking place in Central Park changes into a thrilling experience of making a film directed by a deliberately confused director manipulating the events around him. The film crew and passers-by become the main actors, joined in one multiplied whole using an imaginative style.

“When you do a reality show on TV today, you know you’re part of a show and that they’re going to start creating obstacles for you or trying to complicate the situation purposefully and consciously. Here, you’re just watching a situation where people are absolutely convinced that Bill is out of control, doesn’t know what he’s doing, and you’re a fly on the wall.” W. Greaves

biography

William Greaves (1926–2014) was an Black American actor, director and producer. He used his experience from legendary Actor’s Studio in the 1950s in a number of theatre productions. Unhappy about being forced to play stereotyped roles, he then turned to film and studied at the renowned National Film Board of Canada. He made documentaries for the UN and PBS. The pioneering format of his Black Journal show received an Emmy Award.