Ken Burns on stories, truth... and our death

Does Ken Burns lie?

Mr. Burns has made many documentary films on American subjects such as the Civil War, jazz, baseball, America's national parks, and Prohibition. He's interviewed in this 5-minute film:

"Jean-Luc Godard said cinema is truth 24 times a second. Maybe. It's lying 24 times a second, too. All the time.

All story is manipulation. Is there acceptable manipulation? You bet. People say: "Oh boy, I was so moved to tears in your film. That's a good thing?" I manipulated that. That's part of storytelling. I didn't do it disingenuously, I did it sincerely. I am moved by that too. That's manipulation.

Truth is, we hope, a byproduct of the best of our stories..."

Ken Burns on Story

- A short documentary on the documentary filmmaker Ken Burns by Redglass Pictures>>
- Ken Burns on Why His Formula for a Great Story Is 1+1=3, The Atlantic>> 
- Found via Kottke>>