--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every documentary is subjective. It's a…" description: "\"Every documentary is subjective. It's a total lie to say there are objective documentaries.\" — Pirjo Honkasalo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42e/pirjo-honkasalo-26918_documentaries_every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-t_726346.jpg" --- # Every documentary is subjective. It's a total lie to say… ![“Every documentary is subjective. It's a total lie to say there are objective documentaries.” quote by Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42e/pirjo-honkasalo-26918_documentaries_every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-t_726346.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42e/pirjo-honkasalo-26918_documentaries_every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-t_726346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42e/pirjo-honkasalo-26918_documentaries_every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-t_726346.jpg) > “Every documentary is subjective. It's a total lie to say there are objective documentaries.” [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Documentaries are shaped by the filmmaker’s perspective, so claiming absolute objectivity is misleading. **In simple terms:** Documentaries reflect the creator’s view, not pure facts. Key Takeaway Acknowledge bias when consuming or creating documentaries. Themes media truth perspective Mood critical thoughtful inquisitive Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - education - media criticism - film production - public discourse Key Concepts film studies epistemology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does your own bias affect what you consider true? - Can a documentary be both personal and informative? A Different Perspective Some documentaries strive for factual accuracy despite subjectivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Documentaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Subjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjective/) ## Related quotes > [We exaggerate the difference between documentary and fiction. I think that on some level a fiction film is also a documentary on the actors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/we-exaggerate-the-difference-between-documentary-and-fiction-i-think/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [When I make a documentary I shoot very little but I hang around with my camera for a long time. I look at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/when-i-make-a-documentary-i-shoot-very-little-but-i-hang-around-with/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [Everybody should have a documentary made about themselves. It's amazing what you see and what you learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-fleck/everybody-should-have-a-documentary-made-about-themselves-it-s/) [Bela Fleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bela-fleck/) > [My lady, Deborah McNaughton is doing a documentary on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-redding/my-lady-deborah-mcnaughton-is-doing-a-documentary-on-me/) [Noel Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-redding/) > [There's a lot of documentaries out in the world; it sometimes seems as if there's no topic left!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-c-pelosi/there-s-a-lot-of-documentaries-out-in-the-world-it-sometimes-seems-as/) [Alexandra C. Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-c-pelosi/) > [I've had frustrated storytelling juices that have been lying dormant for a long time, and I guess the documentary was a way of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bana/i-ve-had-frustrated-storytelling-juices-that-have-been-lying-dormant/) [Eric Bana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bana/) > [There's a tradition of reenactment in documentary which is about sort of illustrating what the past might have been like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/there-s-a-tradition-of-reenactment-in-documentary-which-is-about-sort/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [Helen Weaver’s book was a revelation to me! Although I was a young woman in the fifties, I was there, but I wasn’t there!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-cassady/helen-weaver-s-book-was-a-revelation-to-me-although-i-was-a-young/) Carolyn Cassady > [If you merely focus on what we already know, then it's not revelatory. You may as well just go and watch a documentary or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/if-you-merely-focus-on-what-we-already-know-then-it-s-not-revelatory/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) ## More by Pirjo Honkasalo > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [When I make a documentary I shoot very little but I hang around with my camera for a long time. I look at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/when-i-make-a-documentary-i-shoot-very-little-but-i-hang-around-with/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [I had worked in fiction a lot before I started making documentaries, but when I was around 32 or 33-years-old I suddenly got so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/i-had-worked-in-fiction-a-lot-before-i-started-making-documentaries/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [I went to England when I was 13-years=old and then I went again when I was 14. When I went for the second time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/i-went-to-england-when-i-was-13-years-old-and-then-i-went-again-when/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [In all my documentaries I did all the camera work, but in fiction I didn't want to do it myself. I think the machinery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/in-all-my-documentaries-i-did-all-the-camera-work-but-in-fiction-i/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [When I auditioned actors I never make them act. I choose a long symphony, then I tell them to sit down and I play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/when-i-auditioned-actors-i-never-make-them-act-i-choose-a-long/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [At 13 I was someone that didn't have a personality yet. It's a fascinating period in a human life. It's so exciting because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/at-13-i-was-someone-that-didn-t-have-a-personality-yet-it-s-a/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [I think that too often we, film directors, think that a big epic novel and feature film are the same. It's a lie. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/i-think-that-too-often-we-film-directors-think-that-a-big-epic-novel/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [This is going to sound crazy, especially in America where there is a total inflation of the word "love," but in a sense you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/this-is-going-to-sound-crazy-especially-in-america-where-there-is-a/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [I went to film school when I was 17, and of course when you are very young you think that there is nothing else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/i-went-to-film-school-when-i-was-17-and-of-course-when-you-are-very/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [We exaggerate the difference between documentary and fiction. I think that on some level a fiction film is also a documentary on the actors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/we-exaggerate-the-difference-between-documentary-and-fiction-i-think/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [If you take a big epic novel and you shoot it, when you get to the editing room you notice that it has 2…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/if-you-take-a-big-epic-novel-and-you-shoot-it-when-you-get-to-the/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [There is one thing where people are always right. It is when they are describing what they have been feeling when watching your film.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/there-is-one-thing-where-people-are-always-right-it-is-when-they-are/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [You give your film away to the audience once it's done. I never look at my films after the premier. The film needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/you-give-your-film-away-to-the-audience-once-it-s-done-i-never-look/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [Being a female director become as professional as your male colleagues and forget the whole question about being female. You are female anyway and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/being-a-female-director-become-as-professional-as-your-male/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) [Explore all 21 Pirjo Honkasalo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) ## More Documentaries quotes > [I like the cinema of people like Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton. I am not keen on trying to reproduce reality - for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-jeunet/i-like-the-cinema-of-people-like-terry-gilliam-and-tim-burton-i-am/) [Jean-Pierre Jeunet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-jeunet/) > [Many people, including myself, thought of Jobs as an inventor, an Edison-like figure, but he wasn't. I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [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/) > [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/) > [...it is a very risky thing for anyone to go about proclaiming the truth simply because he finds himself in possession of concrete documentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-amado/it-is-a-very-risky-thing-for-anyone-to-go-about-proclaiming-the-truth/) [Jorge Amado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-amado/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I'm in school every day. It depends on what it is that you do with all that free time when I'm not on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-lyte/i-m-in-school-every-day-it-depends-on-what-it-is-that-you-do-with-all/) [MC Lyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-lyte/) > [If you merely focus on what we already know, then it's not revelatory. You may as well just go and watch a documentary or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/if-you-merely-focus-on-what-we-already-know-then-it-s-not-revelatory/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [So I do tend to do documentaries where I can move in and out of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-apted/so-i-do-tend-to-do-documentaries-where-i-can-move-in-and-out-of-them/) [Michael Apted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-apted/) > [Helen Weaver’s book was a revelation to me! Although I was a young woman in the fifties, I was there, but I wasn’t there!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-cassady/helen-weaver-s-book-was-a-revelation-to-me-although-i-was-a-young/) Carolyn Cassady > [There's a tradition of reenactment in documentary which is about sort of illustrating what the past might have been like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-oppenheimer/there-s-a-tradition-of-reenactment-in-documentary-which-is-about-sort/) [Joshua Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-oppenheimer/) > [I've had frustrated storytelling juices that have been lying dormant for a long time, and I guess the documentary was a way of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bana/i-ve-had-frustrated-storytelling-juices-that-have-been-lying-dormant/) [Eric Bana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bana/) [Browse all 718 Documentaries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every documentary is subjective. It's a total lie to say there are objective documentaries.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pirjo Honkasalo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-total-lie-to-say-there-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Documentaries" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-total-lie-to-say-there-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42e/pirjo-honkasalo-26918_documentaries_every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-t_726346.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42e/pirjo-honkasalo-26918_documentaries_every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-t_726346.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42e/pirjo-honkasalo-26918_documentaries_every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-t_726346.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every documentary is subjective. It's a total lie to say there are objective documentaries.” — Pirjo Honkasalo", "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": "Pirjo Honkasalo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every documentary is subjective. It's a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-total-lie-to-say-there-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/every-documentary-is-subjective-it-s-a-total-lie-to-say-there-are/#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 } } ] } ```