Symbiopsychotaxiplasm - Take One

In this film, the blurring of the lines between documentary and fiction is very apparent. Even though it is very loose in its construction, which can be related to the documentary style, it does have narrative qualities beneath the surface. The film tells the tale of the main character, a film director named William Greaves, who attempts to create a different kind of film. Whether he is successful or not is up to the viewer after the film has ended. It is also possible that the film as a whole is purely fiction, and none of what appears to be spontaneity is actually real. There are several moments in the film, most coming from the conversations with just the crew, where the viewer second guesses what they are watching, as some of the subjects within the film support the idea that they are just carrying out the director's plans. Even the actors taking part in the film within the film could be portraying themselves as horrible performers to enhance other parts of the film to make it seem more "real". The homeless man at the end, for example, could have been an actor playing that part. These are the questions that get raised anytime a filmmaker tries to mix fiction elements with documentary form.