As for a director, a film is often defined as a story. Consequently, directors sometimes feel a sense of regret and limitation regarding the voices excluded from the story on the shooting site. In this aspect, Cameraperson is an exceptional work. This outstanding work was possible because the director, Kristen Johnson, a cinematographer for 25 years, carried a different perspective from other directors. The film weaves together the moments the director encountered and exchanged emotions with people through the camera on the site over a long period, creating her autobiography. It is like witnessing various cloth pieces come together to form one piece of art called a “quilt.” Particularly in the latter part of the film, her conversations with the Bosnian family she revisited after five years and the “small screening” demonstrate warm and beautiful scenes that show how the moments missed in the story can be revived and imbued with meaning.
The world often reveals itself as much as the director’s perception allows when making a documentary. The deep exploration and connection with the people she meets on the site accumulate, eventually leading the camera toward her people—her children and her mother, who have dementia. This also shows how the camera becomes history for an individual, leading to a mature perspective. It will be a time to witness how this resonates with the audience at the SIWFF. [KWON Woojung]