Peter Thompson

“I’m in the messy business of translating the worlds I see, along with my internal one, into form. To translate is to betray. In spite of that wriggle-room for inaccuracy, I often experience shame vis-à-vis my documentary subjects. I am aware of what was simplified, reduced, or left out. On a bad day, I see my films as crime scenes. On a good day, I experience pleasure thinking about them. This see-sawing is not unique to me; it seems inherent in the documentary endeavor.”