É Tudo Verdade / It's All True

Chris Marker (1921-2012) was fascinated by cats. ‘Film photography, travel, loving cats’ was his favorite autobiographical phrase. Cats are (almost) omnipresent in his films, his photos, and even his sketches.

His penchant for felines was, however, on one rare occasion, replaced by a fascination for owls. At the end of the 1980s, when the Berlin Wall came down, the Soviet era came to a close, and the Cold War ended, Marker dedicated his most erudite and extensive television experience, ‘The Owl’s Legacy’, to discussing the values of Ancient Greece that the contemporary world had inherited. The series was structured around Greek words that have spanned centuries as compasses for humanity. ‘Democracy’, ‘amnesia’, ‘misogyny’ and ‘tragedy’ are but a few. It is unnecessary to stress its absolute topicality. Or maybe it is more necessary than ever.

Marker exchanged his cat for an owl since this is the symbol of Athena, the Greek Goddess of civilization and the arts. Also known in the form of its Roman counterpart, Hegel famously noted that ‘the owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of dusk’. In a summary interpretation, the German philosopher argued that only once night had fallen did we have the necessary perspective to be able to understand the facts of the day. Maybe Marker was flirting with his appropriation for the ‘cinema situation’, with the pause in the twilight for the proper reflection.

After almost thirty years of inaccessibility, ‘The Owl’s Legacy’ was posthumously restored two years ago. Its Brazilian premiere has naturally established itself as one of the unmissable events during the It’s All True 25-year celebrations. Unlike other fondly remembered international masters such as Johan van der Keuken and Robert Drew, the ever-invisible Marker never honored us with his presence at the festival, even though he did appear in the form of his work or as the subject of the films of his friends such as the Russian documentary filmmaker Marina Goldovskaya, one of the pioneers invited to our very first festival. A circle has, in some way, now come to a close.

The same enlightened energy that drove Marker brings us to this year’s partners and sponsors, as well as the filmmakers and crews who have honored us with premieres of their work. As though the incredible films included in the competition this year and Marker’s series were not enough, we have a very special program to commemorate our 25th anniversary, from our review of the contemporary Brazilian documentary scene to the eagerly awaited series from Mark Cousins on the history of women’s cinema.

In the midst of the current wave of gibberish and the constant onslaught of fake news, it has never been more important to make, watch and discuss documentaries, and to encourage their production, distribution and screening, as It’s All True has engaged itself in doing during every one of its 25 editions. Modestly and passionately. We truly hope you enjoy this year’s festival!

AMIR LABAKI

Founder and Director

It’s All True – International Documentary Film Festival