Abstract

Increased experimentation by filmmakers such as Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock means that the walls between art and documentary are collapsing, generating innovative ideas and attracting an entirely new audience. Truth or Dare is the innovative product of a Whitechapel Gallery conference, bringing together renowned artists, filmmakers, writers and curators. Pearce and McLaughlin's book reveals the debates that flared that day surrounding the binary of art and documentary and the tensions of freedom and responsibility. The ethics of this new wave of documentary are also questioned, since the authenticity of documentary seems to clash with the experimentation and imagination of art.  As the distinction between different art forms becomes more and more blurred, Truth or Dare explores the shift from two separate entities of documentary film and contemporary art to the obscuring of boundaries. The discussion extends to new technological developments that allow crossover and opportunities for collaboration. All of these issues are explored in written chapters and edited transcripts of conversation from the conference, illustrated with stills of moving image work and accompanied by a DVD of the artists’ experimentation. This is a unique and timely collection of reflection and analysis by documentary makers and artists concerning where they position their art forms in relation to each other, and the shape of filmmaking to come. The cross-disciplinary opinions and mixed media format of Truth or Dare engages the reader, so that they too become part of the ongoing debate.