--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The magic of documentary is that I keep…" description: "\"The magic of documentary is that I keep being surprised and amazed by the things I film.\" — Kim Longinotto" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/kim-longinotto-29058_amazed_the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep_58145.jpg" --- # The magic of documentary is that I keep being surprised… ![“The magic of documentary is that I keep being surprised and amazed by the things I film.” quote by Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/kim-longinotto-29058_amazed_the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep_58145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/kim-longinotto-29058_amazed_the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep_58145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/kim-longinotto-29058_amazed_the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep_58145.jpg) > “The magic of documentary is that I keep being surprised and amazed by the things I film.” [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Documentary filmmaking continually reveals unexpected realities, showing the filmmaker's ongoing astonishment at the world captured on camera. **In simple terms:** Documentary work constantly uncovers surprising truths. Key Takeaway Embrace the unknown in storytelling. Themes Discovery Awe Reality Perspective Narrative Observation Mood Wonder Curiosity Inspiration Type Observational Reflective When to use this quote - Exploring unfamiliar cultures - Investigating social issues - Capturing spontaneous moments - Traveling to remote locations - Covering historical events Key Concepts Documentary filmmaking Surprise Visual storytelling Authenticity Practical Applications - Creating compelling documentary series - Educating audiences through visual narratives Questions to Reflect On - What does surprise reveal about the filmmaker's mindset? - How can unexpected footage deepen audience engagement? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amazed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amazed/) [Amazed Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amazed-things-801166/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Documentary Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary-surprised-801164/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Magic Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic-documentary-801165/) ## Related quotes > [When you start photographing yourself, you are going to be amazed at all the things you find out about yourself, and you'll be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/when-you-start-photographing-yourself-you-are-going-to-be-amazed-at/) [Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/) > [“When I get to heaven, I will be amazed at three things. I will be amazed at those I thought would be there who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-nelson/when-i-get-to-heaven-i-will-be-amazed-at-three-things-i-will-be/) [Tommy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-nelson/) > [We all have different things that make us strong and weak, but if we communicate and we really open ourselves and open our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/halima-aden/we-all-have-different-things-that-make-us-strong-and-weak-but-if-we/) [Halima Aden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/halima-aden/) > [Today I am amazed at the things our children have done and their wide range of interests. They are all living their lives and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-siegel/today-i-am-amazed-at-the-things-our-children-have-done-and-their-wide/) [Bernie Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-siegel/) > [It's supposed to be entertainment. It's not supposed to be a documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeri-ryan/it-s-supposed-to-be-entertainment-it-s-not-supposed-to-be-a/) [Jeri Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeri-ryan/) > [The pictures that were coming from Vietnam were showing us what was really happening on the ground level. It was in contradiction to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/the-pictures-that-were-coming-from-vietnam-were-showing-us-what-was/) [James Nachtwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nachtwey/) > [Yeah I'm telling real stories, but if you pick up a documentary on strippers, you're going to want to see some stripping, so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/method-man/yeah-i-m-telling-real-stories-but-if-you-pick-up-a-documentary-on/) [Method Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/method-man/) > [I'm a documentary photographer. That's what I've always wanted to be; that's where my heart and soul is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-ellen-mark/i-m-a-documentary-photographer-that-s-what-i-ve-always-wanted-to-be/) [Mary Ellen Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-ellen-mark/) > [By calling it a memoir, I meant is as a collection of memories. I thought it was (a more) artful (title) than documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-merchant/by-calling-it-a-memoir-i-meant-is-as-a-collection-of-memories-i/) [Natalie Merchant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-merchant/) > [Most of my life, I thought that I would end up a novelist. But then, in New York City, after college, I started a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-spaihts/most-of-my-life-i-thought-that-i-would-end-up-a-novelist-but-then-in/) [Jon Spaihts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-spaihts/) > [My senior thesis was a documentary. By the time I graduated from college, I thought I was going to make films, and my interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/my-senior-thesis-was-a-documentary-by-the-time-i-graduated-from/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [Most of the photographs people take with their cameraphones are of little value in terms of documentary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-parr/most-of-the-photographs-people-take-with-their-cameraphones-are-of/) [Martin Parr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-parr/) > [In the spring of 1984, I went to the northwest of France, to Normandy, to prepare an NBC documentary on the 40th anniversary of D-Day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/in-the-spring-of-1984-i-went-to-the-northwest-of-france-to-normandy/) [Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) > [When I speak a serious subject in an informal and humorous way, it has bigger impact. So much so, when BBC made a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arunachalam-muruganantham/when-i-speak-a-serious-subject-in-an-informal-and-humorous-way-it-has/) [Arunachalam Muruganantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arunachalam-muruganantham/) ## More by Kim Longinotto > [I meet all these American filmmakers that film for months and months, and it's a mystery to me. I couldn't make a film like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/i-meet-all-these-american-filmmakers-that-film-for-months-and-months/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [I don't make 'issue' films. I like making films about rebels or pioneers or people that are doing something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/i-don-t-make-issue-films-i-like-making-films-about-rebels-or-pioneers/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [It makes it very easy. I have a beginning, middle, and end, and I don't film for long - about 20 hours usually for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/it-makes-it-very-easy-i-have-a-beginning-middle-and-end-and-i-don-t/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [It's always scary making a film as I never set anything up or ask anyone to do anything, so I worry that we'll find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/it-s-always-scary-making-a-film-as-i-never-set-anything-up-or-ask/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [I don't have any advice at all. I think we all make the films that reflect the kind of people we are; we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/i-don-t-have-any-advice-at-all-i-think-we-all-make-the-films-that/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [I want every scene to feel electric and I try to finish the filming period with a clear trajectory: a beginning, a middle, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/i-want-every-scene-to-feel-electric-and-i-try-to-finish-the-filming/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [I know that sounds contradictory - you're going on a journey, but once you know who your characters are, you become more disciplined and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/i-know-that-sounds-contradictory-you-re-going-on-a-journey-but-once/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [I watch mainly fiction. The films I like watching are films where you see people change, like with Boyhood. You see a moment in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/i-watch-mainly-fiction-the-films-i-like-watching-are-films-where-you/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [I remember very clearly when I found my first soulmate, it was actually in my late 20s, that wonderful feeling of being accepted by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/i-remember-very-clearly-when-i-found-my-first-soulmate-it-was/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [Personally, I don't like watching films about victims - people where you're meant to think, 'Oh, this is terrible,' and you go home feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/personally-i-don-t-like-watching-films-about-victims-people-where-you/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [People want black and white answers, but it's not one thing or another. I think the only way we're going to make good things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/people-want-black-and-white-answers-but-it-s-not-one-thing-or-another/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [Those are the films I want to make. I don't want to make a film about, "Oh, those poor prostitutes!" Or "Oh, isn't it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/those-are-the-films-i-want-to-make-i-don-t-want-to-make-a-film-about/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [I try to make films where the audience forgets the filmmaking and gets engrossed in the story as it unfolds. I don't want them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/i-try-to-make-films-where-the-audience-forgets-the-filmmaking-and/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [I don't want the people I'm with on this journey to feel like I'm filming them all the time. I don't want them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/i-don-t-want-the-people-i-m-with-on-this-journey-to-feel-like-i-m/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) > [I'm not generalizing anymore about men and women, because I think these old terms of "masculine" and "feminine" are going very fast with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/i-m-not-generalizing-anymore-about-men-and-women-because-i-think/) [Kim Longinotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) [Explore all 18 Kim Longinotto quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/) ## More Amazed quotes > [You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/you-will-never-cease-to-be-the-most-amazed-person-on-earth-at-what/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [You'd be amazed at pain and tears a single smile hides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-vasquez/you-d-be-amazed-at-pain-and-tears-a-single-smile-hides/) [Christian Vasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-vasquez/) > [“I am amazed at how being with him changes everything for me, socially speaking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-hand/i-am-amazed-at-how-being-with-him-changes-everything-for-me-socially/) [Cynthia Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-hand/) > [I'm endlessly amazed by what people are capable of, and incapable of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dov-davidoff/i-m-endlessly-amazed-by-what-people-are-capable-of-and-incapable-of/) [Dov Davidoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dov-davidoff/) > [Souls love. That’s what souls do. Egos don’t, but souls do. Become a soul, look around, and you’ll be amazed-all the beings around you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/souls-love-that-s-what-souls-do-egos-don-t-but-souls-do-become-a-soul/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Contrary to a common myth, while there are general guidelines, there is no exact 'right' way to run ... I am amazed by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grete-waitz/contrary-to-a-common-myth-while-there-are-general-guidelines-there-is/) [Grete Waitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grete-waitz/) > [I'm always amazed by writers who tell me they plan everything at the beginning. I feel their writing days must be very bland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-tremain/i-m-always-amazed-by-writers-who-tell-me-they-plan-everything-at-the/) [Rose Tremain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-tremain/) > [What I am telling you is that you do not need to know to love, and it is right that you feel it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/what-i-am-telling-you-is-that-you-do-not-need-to-know-to-love-and-it/) [Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/) > [My father was truly a great man. I remember one day putting my feet in my father's shoes. I was amazed at the size.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/my-father-was-truly-a-great-man-i-remember-one-day-putting-my-feet-in/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [J. Budziszewski is perhaps the clearest and most eloquent natural lawyer writing today. When reading his works I often find myself amazed by his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-j-beckwith/j-budziszewski-is-perhaps-the-clearest-and-most-eloquent-natural/) [Francis J. Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-j-beckwith/) > [I've never ceased to be amazed at the survival skills of poor children. I've learned how much children can actually do for themselves if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landon-pearson/i-ve-never-ceased-to-be-amazed-at-the-survival-skills-of-poor/) [Landon Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landon-pearson/) > [Mystical experiences (unlike scientific conclusions) cannot be communicated from one person to another. Philosophers and little children are continually amazed that we, unaccountably, find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-keen/mystical-experiences-unlike-scientific-conclusions-cannot-be/) [Sam Keen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-keen/) > [As soon as I arrived I made an attempt to find my host but the two or three people of whom I asked his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/as-soon-as-i-arrived-i-made-an-attempt-to-find-my-host-but-the-two-or/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I don't know why, but I'm continually amazed to think that two and a half billion of us around the world are connected to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kovacs/i-don-t-know-why-but-i-m-continually-amazed-to-think-that-two-and-a/) [Gary Kovacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kovacs/) > [The key to contentment is to consider. Consider who you are and be satisfied with that. Consider what you have and be satisfied with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luci-swindoll/the-key-to-contentment-is-to-consider-consider-who-you-are-and-be/) [Luci Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luci-swindoll/) [Browse all 776 Amazed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amazed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The magic of documentary is that I keep being surprised and amazed by the things I film.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kim Longinotto" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep-being-surprised-and-amazed-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Amazed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep-being-surprised-and-amazed-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/kim-longinotto-29058_amazed_the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep_58145.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/kim-longinotto-29058_amazed_the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep_58145.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/787/kim-longinotto-29058_amazed_the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep_58145.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The magic of documentary is that I keep being surprised and amazed by the things I film.” — Kim Longinotto", "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": "Kim Longinotto", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-longinotto/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The magic of documentary is that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep-being-surprised-and-amazed-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-longinotto/the-magic-of-documentary-is-that-i-keep-being-surprised-and-amazed-by/#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 } } ] } ```