--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's an interesting thing - that film…" description: "\"It's an interesting thing - that film fills in for history - because I think it's both one of the most beautiful and active elements of it, but it's al..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/ramell-ross-6108_beautiful_it-s-an-interesting-thing-that-film-fill_2642686.jpg" --- # It's an interesting thing - that film fills in for history… ![“It's an interesting thing - that film fills in for history - because I think it's both one of the most beautiful and active elements of it, but it's also one of the most terrifying. Because film - even in the documentary space, unfortunately - is so tied to industry. It's so tied to career.” quote by RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/ramell-ross-6108_beautiful_it-s-an-interesting-thing-that-film-fill_2642686.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/ramell-ross-6108_beautiful_it-s-an-interesting-thing-that-film-fill_2642686.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/766/ramell-ross-6108_beautiful_it-s-an-interesting-thing-that-film-fill_2642686.jpg) > “It's an interesting thing - that film fills in for history - because I think it's both one of the most beautiful and active elements of it, but it's also one of the most terrifying. Because film - even in the documentary space, unfortunately - is so tied to industry. It's so tied to career.” [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Film acts as a vivid, powerful record of history but is also constrained by industry and career motives. **In simple terms:** Film records history yet is industry‑bound. Key Takeaway Seek diverse sources beyond mainstream film. Themes film history industry career Mood critical inquisitive Type analysis commentary When to use this quote - education - activism Key Concepts media studies cultural criticism Questions to Reflect On - How does industry shape historical narratives? - What alternatives exist for authentic storytelling? A Different Perspective Film can also inspire change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Documentary Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary-space-1166941/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Film Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-documentary-863086/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Terrifying Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrifying-film-672205/) ## Related quotes > [I wanted to bring art world ideas into a documentary space. Every medium has its limitations, but if you would like to - as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/i-wanted-to-bring-art-world-ideas-into-a-documentary-space-every/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [In the documentary space, the biggest and most obvious difference is that in those films you're not in it for a financial gain. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-smolyansky/in-the-documentary-space-the-biggest-and-most-obvious-difference-is/) [Julie Smolyansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-smolyansky/) > [A film is not a documentary. And what's wonderful about film is that it's a real provocation for people. I never, ever see film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/a-film-is-not-a-documentary-and-what-s-wonderful-about-film-is-that/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [The very first film, documentary that I made, was called 'The First Year.' It was 11 years ago and I followed these five novice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-guggenheim/the-very-first-film-documentary-that-i-made-was-called-the-first-year/) [Davis Guggenheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davis-guggenheim/) > [A good film is also a documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-rohmer/a-good-film-is-also-a-documentary/) [Eric Rohmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-rohmer/) > [If you're able to appeal to a broader market, you can make an entertaining narrative film. Whereas a documentary is something that only a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-searcy/if-you-re-able-to-appeal-to-a-broader-market-you-can-make-an/) [Nick Searcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-searcy/) > [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/) > [Ive never seen a more terrifying film than 'The Bababook'. It will scare the hell out of you as it did me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-friedkin/ive-never-seen-a-more-terrifying-film-than-the-bababook-it-will-scare/) [William Friedkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-friedkin/) > [When 'The Ring' came out, it destroyed me for an entire week. I just couldn't deal with how terrifying that film was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-rothe/when-the-ring-came-out-it-destroyed-me-for-an-entire-week-i-just/) [Jessica Rothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-rothe/) > [Whenever I watch a documentary about the space, I find the news in the world very funny and dull!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/whenever-i-watch-a-documentary-about-the-space-i-find-the-news-in-the/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [What is interesting to me about film, and documentary film in particular, is that I can write about these people, and you trust my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-wright/what-is-interesting-to-me-about-film-and-documentary-film-in/) [Lawrence Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-wright/) > [I had made an independent film - 'Footsteps' - in the U.K. that hadn't really done anything, so my wife suggested we head to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gareth-evans/i-had-made-an-independent-film-footsteps-in-the-u-k-that-hadn-t/) [Gareth Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gareth-evans/) > [I've always slightly harboured a dream of making a film, a documentary feature. Somehow I just got into a way of working a routine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-theroux/i-ve-always-slightly-harboured-a-dream-of-making-a-film-a-documentary/) [Louis Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-theroux/) > [I want to say documentary filmmakers are some of the most conscious media makers, the most empathetic, though sometimes empathy is the problem. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/i-want-to-say-documentary-filmmakers-are-some-of-the-most-conscious/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [Yeah, I think any type of filmmaking is good as an on-ramp to making films. But I will say that documentary filmmakers have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/yeah-i-think-any-type-of-filmmaking-is-good-as-an-on-ramp-to-making/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) ## More by RaMell Ross > [To give subjectivity to the Dozier School boys is fundamentally mind-blowing. In literature, you're allowed to write from the inside, but at least most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/to-give-subjectivity-to-the-dozier-school-boys-is-fundamentally-mind/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [What a thing of free will to be in the air and to have that much control over one's directionality, up, down, left, right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/what-a-thing-of-free-will-to-be-in-the-air-and-to-have-that-much/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [You know, I feel like when we're watching films, typically, the films do the thinking for you, one could say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/you-know-i-feel-like-when-we-re-watching-films-typically-the-films-do/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [I realised that I wasn't going to the NBA when I broke my foot my second time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/i-realised-that-i-wasn-t-going-to-the-nba-when-i-broke-my-foot-my/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [Film peddles in one blip in the sea of emotional relationships when it's literally the content of the whole ocean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/film-peddles-in-one-blip-in-the-sea-of-emotional-relationships-when/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [Cinema lends itself to the play between the surreal, the symbolic, the experiential, the nonsensical and the aesthetic. It's on this weird carousel that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/cinema-lends-itself-to-the-play-between-the-surreal-the-symbolic-the/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [The thing about 'Nickel Boys' is its a film that is more intelligent than its maker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/the-thing-about-nickel-boys-is-its-a-film-that-is-more-intelligent/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [I don't think you need a lot of money to make a film that's cinematic and deserves to be in theaters, but people feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/i-don-t-think-you-need-a-lot-of-money-to-make-a-film-that-s-cinematic/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [The South is my home and I'm trapped in its stomach trying to get to its brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/the-south-is-my-home-and-i-m-trapped-in-its-stomach-trying-to-get-to/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [Black folks aren't asked to make films about all white people. But what would have happened if we did? What would white culture look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/black-folks-aren-t-asked-to-make-films-about-all-white-people-but/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [Micro-looking processes that are human are what I was interested in. How can you use the camera to mime the way that we look?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/micro-looking-processes-that-are-human-are-what-i-was-interested-in/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [Imagine something where you are just provided with the truth, which is something that everyone deserves. It's insane that's a line like that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/imagine-something-where-you-are-just-provided-with-the-truth-which-is/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [I'm less interested in cinema, and more interested in the experience of cinema approaching the experience of reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/i-m-less-interested-in-cinema-and-more-interested-in-the-experience/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [Yeah, I think any type of filmmaking is good as an on-ramp to making films. But I will say that documentary filmmakers have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/yeah-i-think-any-type-of-filmmaking-is-good-as-an-on-ramp-to-making/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [Films typically peddle in meaning with big things and make connections between events. They don't peddle in images in the same way which in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/films-typically-peddle-in-meaning-with-big-things-and-make/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) [Explore all 100 RaMell Ross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) ## More Beautiful quotes > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) [Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) [Browse all 17,976 Beautiful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's an interesting thing - that film fills in for history - because I think it's both one of the most beautiful and active elements of it, but it's also one of the most terrifying. Because film - even in the documentary space, unfortunately - is so tied to industry. 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