--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think independent filmmakers…" description: "\"I think independent filmmakers, documentary filmmakers - they are journalists.\" — Robert Redford" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/robert-redford-1707_documentaries_i-think-independent-filmmakers-documenta_751229.png" --- # I think independent filmmakers, documentary filmmakers… ![“I think independent filmmakers, documentary filmmakers - they are journalists.” quote by Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/robert-redford-1707_documentaries_i-think-independent-filmmakers-documenta_751229.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/robert-redford-1707_documentaries_i-think-independent-filmmakers-documenta_751229.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/robert-redford-1707_documentaries_i-think-independent-filmmakers-documenta_751229.png) > “I think independent filmmakers, documentary filmmakers - they are journalists.” [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Independent and documentary filmmakers serve as truth‑seeking journalists, informing the public. **In simple terms:** Filmmakers act like journalists. Key Takeaway Tell stories that reveal reality. Themes media truth journalism Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - film festivals - news reporting - community outreach Key Concepts public awareness documentary impact Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do filmmakers have to truth? - How can they maintain objectivity? A Different Perspective Risk of bias in storytelling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Documentaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentaries/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Filmmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filmmaker/) [Journalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist/) [Journalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalists/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I wanted to describe the world at the same time, through image, express what I felt. It was the time of the great documentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-kieslowski/i-wanted-to-describe-the-world-at-the-same-time-through-image-express/) [Krzysztof Kieslowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-kieslowski/) > [I always tell aspiring documentary filmmakers, 'You have to go into it because you love it; if you go into it for the money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-neville/i-always-tell-aspiring-documentary-filmmakers-you-have-to-go-into-it/) [Morgan Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-neville/) > [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/) > [Maybe today I would call Fred Leuchter and there would be two or three other documentary filmmakers interested in his story simply because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/maybe-today-i-would-call-fred-leuchter-and-there-would-be-two-or/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [My hat's off to documentary filmmakers. I don't know if I'm ever going back to it. You're treated like a second-class citizen at most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-zwigoff/my-hat-s-off-to-documentary-filmmakers-i-don-t-know-if-i-m-ever-going/) [Terry Zwigoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-zwigoff/) > [If film making is magic, there's a difference between close up magic and David Copperfield. If you're doing close up magic, which independent filmmakers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/if-film-making-is-magic-there-s-a-difference-between-close-up-magic/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [Nobody really truly supporting independent filmmakers anymore. It's just dire. There's a lot of bad filmmaking, and there's a lot of people worshipping some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gillies/nobody-really-truly-supporting-independent-filmmakers-anymore-it-s/) [Daniel Gillies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gillies/) > [In London, there must be thousands of people in the business of making films, whereas in Nottingham or Sheffield, you're probably talking about below…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-meadows/in-london-there-must-be-thousands-of-people-in-the-business-of-making/) [Shane Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-meadows/) > [Most independent filmmakers in Britain and North America work for commercial crews and then have their own projects when they've got enough money saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-macbeth/most-independent-filmmakers-in-britain-and-north-america-work-for/) [Ann Macbeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-macbeth/) > [I probably live in the best province for independent filmmakers. Manitoba has a sort of thieving-magpie approach, trying to lift productions from other provinces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-maddin/i-probably-live-in-the-best-province-for-independent-filmmakers/) [Guy Maddin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-maddin/) > [We are here predominantly to support independent filmmakers and their needs. We are also here to assist people actually in their production, non-commercial people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-macbeth/we-are-here-predominantly-to-support-independent-filmmakers-and-their/) [Ann Macbeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-macbeth/) > [As an independent filmmaker, the biggest challenge is finding the money. Whenever you have interest in a film project you need to find investors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-smith/as-an-independent-filmmaker-the-biggest-challenge-is-finding-the/) Harrison Smith > [The problem for independent filmmakers is that huge companies control all the promotion, all the advertising. Hollywood films' advertising budgets are as large as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kane-pappas/the-problem-for-independent-filmmakers-is-that-huge-companies-control/) [Robert Kane Pappas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kane-pappas/) > [There's a tremendous intellectual fervor among independent filmmakers, and that has to be cultivated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-glickman/there-s-a-tremendous-intellectual-fervor-among-independent-filmmakers/) [Dan Glickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-glickman/) ## More by Robert Redford > [When I became successful, I put up a caution. I didn't think it was fair to have the shadow of that kind of success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-i-became-successful-i-put-up-a-caution-i-didn-t-think-it-was/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [Never revisit the past, that's dangerous. You know, move on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/never-revisit-the-past-that-s-dangerous-you-know-move-on/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [I have no regrets, because I've done everything I could to the best of my ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/i-have-no-regrets-because-i-ve-done-everything-i-could-to-the-best-of/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [When you get older, you learn certain life lessons. You apply that wisdom, and suddenly you say, 'Hey, I've got a new lease on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-you-get-older-you-learn-certain-life-lessons-you-apply-that/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [The country is so wounded, bleeding, and hurt right now. The country needs to be healed-it's not going to be healed from the top,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/the-country-is-so-wounded-bleeding-and-hurt-right-now-the-country/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [When I was a kid, nobody told me I was good-looking. I wish they had. I would've had a better time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-i-was-a-kid-nobody-told-me-i-was-good-looking-i-wish-they-had-i/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [Criticism challenges current findings. The effort to defend one's position can lead to deeper insights or consideration of options previously not considered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/criticism-challenges-current-findings-the-effort-to-defend-one-s/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [There's a lot of money to be made by strip-mining and drilling the dirtiest oil on the planet. But why should the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/there-s-a-lot-of-money-to-be-made-by-strip-mining-and-drilling-the/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [All of the films that I've made are about the country I live in and grew up in... And I think if you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/all-of-the-films-that-i-ve-made-are-about-the-country-i-live-in-and/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [I've been very fortunate in that I've had wonderful relationships with people I've worked with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/i-ve-been-very-fortunate-in-that-i-ve-had-wonderful-relationships/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [I've always liked speed. I own a car that I shouldn't be talking about because I'm an environmentalist, but the 1955 Porsche Spyder 550…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/i-ve-always-liked-speed-i-own-a-car-that-i-shouldn-t-be-talking-about/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [The way you really find out about the performer's seriousness about the cause is how long they stay with it when the spotlight gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/the-way-you-really-find-out-about-the-performer-s-seriousness-about/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [Usually I like to improvise. Sometimes, depending on the nature of the piece, I like to improvise because I think it brings a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/usually-i-like-to-improvise-sometimes-depending-on-the-nature-of-the/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [Because, you know, you're in Utah. And because of its political conservatism, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/because-you-know-you-re-in-utah-and-because-of-its-political/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [What I would do is when I was younger I would draw in a sketch book something that happened in my life and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/what-i-would-do-is-when-i-was-younger-i-would-draw-in-a-sketch-book/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) [Explore all 214 Robert Redford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) ## 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": "I think independent filmmakers, documentary filmmakers - they are journalists.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Redford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/i-think-independent-filmmakers-documentary-filmmakers-they-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Documentaries" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/i-think-independent-filmmakers-documentary-filmmakers-they-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/robert-redford-1707_documentaries_i-think-independent-filmmakers-documenta_751229.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/robert-redford-1707_documentaries_i-think-independent-filmmakers-documenta_751229.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d2/robert-redford-1707_documentaries_i-think-independent-filmmakers-documenta_751229.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think independent filmmakers, documentary filmmakers - they are journalists.” — Robert Redford", "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": "Robert Redford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think independent filmmakers, documentary filmmakers...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/i-think-independent-filmmakers-documentary-filmmakers-they-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/i-think-independent-filmmakers-documentary-filmmakers-they-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 } } ] } ```