cinéma vérité

American  

[sin-uh-muh ver-i-tey, see-ney-mah vey-ree-tey] / ˈsɪn ə mə ˌvɛr ɪˈteɪ, si neɪ mɑ veɪ riˈteɪ /

noun

1. a technique of documentary filmmaking in which the camera records actual persons and events without directorial control: introduced in France in the 1950s.

2. a film using this technique or a simulation of it.

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cinéma vérité British  

/ sinema verite /

noun

1. films characterized by subjects, actions, etc, that have the appearance of real life

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Etymology

Origin of cinéma vérité

1960–65; < French cinéma-vérité literally, cinema-truth, coined as a translation of Russian kinoprávda, a documentary technique developed by the Soviet filmmaker Dziga Vertov (1896–1954)

Example Sentences

Her husband was a handsome practitioner of extreme cinéma vérité with a modest heroin habit and a predilection for beautiful women.

From New York Times

Mr. Blackwood filmed his subjects in the unobtrusive, no-frills cinéma vérité style, seeking to capture the creative process behind their art, often in studio visits.

From New York Times

Whereas touchstones like “Bonnie and Clyde,” “The Graduate” and “Easy Rider” took their grammatical cues from the French New Wave and documentary cinema verité, films like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Nope” — another big hit of 2022 — are pulling from sources including but not limited to Pixar movies and video games, martial arts films and superhero blockbusters, “Jurassic Park” and M. Night Shyamalan.

From Washington Post

When I first started filmmaking, the teachers that I first had, Alfred Guzzetti and Rob Moss, came from that world, and they were very much into cinema verite.

From Los Angeles Times

His signature style combines a cinéma vérité approach with "gonzo fearlessness" and "empathetic sensitivity."

From Salon