Alex Gibney: ‘My films are meant to be agent provocateurs’

Named one of the world's most important documentary filmmakers, Gibney spoke at AIDC this week and shared the techniques and ethics behind his factual storytelling.

Alex Gibney is the kind of filmmaker who rushes to finish a film in time to influence the US election.

That’s what happened with Totally Under Control, made in about five months and fast-tracked to release online in October last year. The film was a startling revelation of ineptitude and corruption in Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Even if Gibney was mostly preaching to the choir (and choirs do need good preaching), the film stunned viewers with its clear timelines, insider access and sincerely heartbreaking whistleblower accounts.

Unlock Padlock Icon

Unlock this content?

Access this content and more

Rochelle Siemienowicz is the ArtsHub Group's Education and Career Editor. She was previously a journalist for Screenhub and is a writer, film critic and cultural commentator with a PhD in Australian cinema. She was the co-host of Australia's longest-running film podcast 'Hell is for Hyphenates' and has written a memoir, Fallen, published by Affirm Press. Her second book, Double Happiness, a novel, will be published by Midnight Sun in 2024. Instagram: @Rochelle_Rochelle Twitter: @Milan2Pinsk