--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My documentaries have always been very…" description: "\"My documentaries have always been very much constructed in the spirit of dominant cinema. From the time I started making non-fiction, I was mainly inte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/brett-morgen-30402_cinema_my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-m_1531546.jpg" --- # My documentaries have always been very much constructed in… ![“My documentaries have always been very much constructed in the spirit of dominant cinema. From the time I started making non-fiction, I was mainly interested in designing and creating documentaries like fiction, so it was a natural evolution to try and embark on doing a dramatic narrative.” quote by Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/brett-morgen-30402_cinema_my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-m_1531546.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/brett-morgen-30402_cinema_my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-m_1531546.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/brett-morgen-30402_cinema_my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-m_1531546.jpg) > “My documentaries have always been very much constructed in the spirit of dominant cinema. From the time I started making non-fiction, I was mainly interested in designing and creating documentaries like fiction, so it was a natural evolution to try and embark on doing a dramatic narrative.” [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He sees documentary as a storytelling craft, blending factual content with narrative techniques of fiction to create compelling films. **In simple terms:** Documentaries can be told like movies. Key Takeaway Use narrative structure in non‑fiction. Themes storytelling film non‑fiction fiction Mood reflective inspired critical Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - film festivals - educational videos - media workshops - creative collaborations Key Concepts narrative design genre blending creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure truth while using fictional techniques? - When does dramatization become distortion? A Different Perspective Balancing factual accuracy with dramatic flair can risk misrepresentation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Documentaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Dramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatic/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Non fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-fiction/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It seems to me that dominant cinema seems to require an empathy or a sympathy between the film and the audience which is basically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/it-seems-to-me-that-dominant-cinema-seems-to-require-an-empathy-or-a/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) > [Even in Haiti, I saw John Wayne movies. American cinema has always been the dominant cinema throughout the world, and people tend to forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-peck/even-in-haiti-i-saw-john-wayne-movies-american-cinema-has-always-been/) [Raoul Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-peck/) > [My job as a film editor is to construct a dramatic narrative because otherwise it's just a chaotic arrangement of sequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-wiseman/my-job-as-a-film-editor-is-to-construct-a-dramatic-narrative-because/) [Frederick Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-wiseman/) > [I don't think there's something that you have to 'get' with my music. It tends toward the dramatic side rather than the narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-lansky/i-don-t-think-there-s-something-that-you-have-to-get-with-my-music-it/) [Paul Lansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-lansky/) > [I think through humor you can get a point across better than through just a dramatic narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-crenn/i-think-through-humor-you-can-get-a-point-across-better-than-through/) [Dominique Crenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-crenn/) > [I started out writing music for theatre and contemporary dance, so there has always been a dramatic and narrative element in my music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-johannsson/i-started-out-writing-music-for-theatre-and-contemporary-dance-so/) [Johann Johannsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-johannsson/) > [There's a certain joy in taking a dramatic narrative and then adding that element of horror to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ashley-carter/there-s-a-certain-joy-in-taking-a-dramatic-narrative-and-then-adding/) [Lauren Ashley Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ashley-carter/) > [People don't live their lives in a series of scenes that form a dramatic narrative, they don't speak in dialogue, they're not lit by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/people-don-t-live-their-lives-in-a-series-of-scenes-that-form-a/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [Non-fiction or documentaries can tell any kind of a story because they don't have to adhere to the rules of what's possible. When you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-neville/non-fiction-or-documentaries-can-tell-any-kind-of-a-story-because/) [Morgan Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-neville/) > [I try and make non-fiction films that feel like fiction, so I'm always looking for the subtext and that's what really excites me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/i-try-and-make-non-fiction-films-that-feel-like-fiction-so-i-m-always/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [Many Americans have never owned a book. And others have never owned a non-fiction book. Providing them with a 300-page paperback would get them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/many-americans-have-never-owned-a-book-and-others-have-never-owned-a/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [When you play a non-fiction character it is more responsibility than when you are playing a fiction character because that person lived, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/when-you-play-a-non-fiction-character-it-is-more-responsibility-than/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) > [Fiction and non-fiction are only different techniques of story telling. For reasons I do not fully understand, fiction dances out of me. Non-fiction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/fiction-and-non-fiction-are-only-different-techniques-of-story/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [I lay on my floor crying again¦ shaking. Searching for inner strength and coming up empty. My eyes burned and my mouth was dry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-daniels/i-lay-on-my-floor-crying-again-shaking-searching-for-inner-strength/) Nathan Daniels > [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/) [Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/) ## More by Brett Morgen > [I never met Kurt Cobain, but I felt like I got to know him in a manner probably more intimate than anyone I've known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/i-never-met-kurt-cobain-but-i-felt-like-i-got-to-know-him-in-a-manner/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [Sometimes, you chase the moment and you can never catch it. Films take so long to make that you can never anticipate what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/sometimes-you-chase-the-moment-and-you-can-never-catch-it-films-take/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [When I grew up, we had no babysitters and nobody every observed us. People don't parent like that today. They're very hands-on; kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/when-i-grew-up-we-had-no-babysitters-and-nobody-every-observed-us/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [ Kurt \[Cobain\], from the moment he could hold a paintbrush in his hand, was painting. And from the moment he could hold a guitar,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/kurt-cobain-from-the-moment-he-could-hold-a-paintbrush-in-his-hand/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [ Everybody feels protective and possessive about Kurt \[Cobain\] , and I think that can be attributed to his unique gift, an ability to touch… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/everybody-feels-protective-and-possessive-about-kurt-cobain-and-i/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [As a generation, Generation X or whatever we were called, we were not being nurtured. We didn't have Obama. We didn't have Bill Clinton.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/as-a-generation-generation-x-or-whatever-we-were-called-we-were-not/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [ You have Kurt \[Cobain\], and he's singing about your experiences. They're our collective experiences. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/you-have-kurt-cobain-and-he-s-singing-about-your-experiences-they-re/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [ Kurt \[Cobain \]was a feminist. A lot of the bashing against Courtney \[Love\] I think has to deal with gender bias and the media,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/kurt-cobain-was-a-feminist-a-lot-of-the-bashing-against-courtney-love/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [I have three children, and they have never spent a minute unsupervised in their lives. My generation overcompensated like mad. I'm not even joking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/i-have-three-children-and-they-have-never-spent-a-minute-unsupervised/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [ One thing about Kurt \[Cobain\] is before he was a musician, and before he was a rock star, he was an artist, and an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/one-thing-about-kurt-cobain-is-before-he-was-a-musician-and-before-he/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [You can't divorce yourself from your own life experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/you-can-t-divorce-yourself-from-your-own-life-experiences/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [Every second counts. We are only on this earth for a short amount of time, and we get to decide how we want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/every-second-counts-we-are-only-on-this-earth-for-a-short-amount-of/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [The only people who really love the '80s are millennials. We had Reagan and Bush for our entire youth, the culture was terrible, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/the-only-people-who-really-love-the-80s-are-millennials-we-had-reagan/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [I've never had access to another person's art and work or, particularly, someone who is as prolific and was able to externalize his interior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/i-ve-never-had-access-to-another-person-s-art-and-work-or/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) > [I try and make non-fiction films that feel like fiction, so I'm always looking for the subtext and that's what really excites me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/i-try-and-make-non-fiction-films-that-feel-like-fiction-so-i-m-always/) [Brett Morgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) [Explore all 17 Brett Morgen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) Jessica Yu > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My documentaries have always been very much constructed in the spirit of dominant cinema. From the time I started making non-fiction, I was mainly interested in designing and creating documentaries like fiction, so it was a natural evolution to try and embark on doing a dramatic narrative.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brett Morgen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-much-constructed-in-the-spirit/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-much-constructed-in-the-spirit/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/brett-morgen-30402_cinema_my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-m_1531546.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/brett-morgen-30402_cinema_my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-m_1531546.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebe/brett-morgen-30402_cinema_my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-m_1531546.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My documentaries have always been very much constructed in the spirit of dominant cinema. From the time I…” — Brett Morgen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Brett Morgen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-morgen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My documentaries have always been very...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-much-constructed-in-the-spirit/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-morgen/my-documentaries-have-always-been-very-much-constructed-in-the-spirit/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```