Elizabeth Holmes, convicted of defrauding Theranos investors, allowed filmmakers Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim to document her life in the weeks preceding her prison sentence. The resulting documentary, titled You Can See Everything, presents Holmes and her partner Billy Evans in their home with their two young children, ostensibly demonstrating “radical transparency.” However, the film raises questions about whether Holmes is genuinely revealing her true self or carefully constructing a calculated public image. Notably, the couple worked on what they describe as “Theranos 2.0” during the filming process.
The documentary serves as an examination of the complicated dynamic between filmmakers and their subjects, particularly when those subjects are attempting to rehabilitate their public reputation following disgrace. Throughout cinema history, disgraced figures have invited camera crews into their lives, often miscalculating the outcome. Anthony Weiner’s documented mayoral campaign, initially framed as a comeback story, devolved into scandal when further controversies emerged. Similarly, when Jackie and David Siegel allowed director Lauren Greenfield to film their construction of a mansion in Florida, they expected a celebration of their wealth. Instead, Greenfield’s The Queen of Versailles documented the collapse of their dream following the 2008 financial crisis, turning their agreed-upon narrative into a cautionary tale about excess.
Filmmakers typically maintain their own editorial vision and narrative priorities, distinct from their subjects’ intentions. Janet Malcolm’s observation about the journalist-subject relationship applies equally to documentarians: while subjects may expect sympathetic treatment, filmmakers function as observant, impartial recorders rather than advocates. Lauren Greenfield’s later film The Kingmaker, documenting former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos, illustrated this power struggle from inception, with Marcos attempting to control her public presentation while Greenfield pursued her own interpretive goals.
Some subjects have attempted to secure editorial control over their documentaries, though few possess the coercive power of figures like Idi Amin, who held French residents hostage to force footage removal from General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait. Others, such as the perpetrators documented in Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing, participated willingly because they took pride in their actions rather than seeking redemption. Lance Armstrong’s case demonstrated how subjects can misjudge filmmakers’ ultimate objectives, with Armstrong expecting a favorable portrayal before his doping was fully exposed, fundamentally altering the documentary’s direction and purpose.
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