2003 Directors-in-Residence, Hegedus and Pennebaker’s films are done in the Direct Cinema style. “Voice-of-God” narration is avoided, as are formal “Talking Head” interviews. A mobile hand-held camera and diegetic sound are also characteristic. Usually Direct Cinema films show us the “back stage”, be it of the Rolling Stones as in Gimme Shelter, or JFK in Primary, or Bob Dylan. The stylistic concerns of Hegedus and Pennebaker place them in the legacy of Direct Cinema along with Robert Dew, Richard Leacock, and the Maysles brothers.
