Nathan Fielder, co-director of the Elizabeth Holmes documentary “You Can See Everything,” participated in a panel discussion at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival this week alongside nine other prominent documentary filmmakers. The conversation centered on the unconventional filmmaking techniques employed in Fielder’s project and its substantial commercial performance, which has grossed nearly $50 million and achieved the highest-grossing opening weekend for a documentary in decades.
The discussion addressed broader concerns about the documentary branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and its historical resistance to commercially successful films and those employing unconventional techniques. The moderator noted that the branch has frequently overlooked documentaries featuring celebrities, wide theatrical releases, or significant box-office returns, citing examples such as “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” “Jane,” and “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.” The branch has also been cautious toward films incorporating reenactments and other experimental filmmaking approaches.
Amir Bar-Lev, a longtime member of the documentary branch, voiced strong support for Fielder’s film, referencing Werner Herzog’s concept of “ecstatic truth” to argue that unconventional techniques can convey deeper authenticity than traditional documentary approaches. He contended that the Academy Award should prioritize filmmaking technique and craft over issue-based content. Chai Vasarhelyi, who won the best documentary feature Oscar for “Free Solo,” praised the film’s formal innovation and popularity, drawing comparisons to acclaimed works like “The Act of Killing.”
Fielder emphasized that he and co-director Lance Oppenheim did not deliberately pursue unconventional techniques but instead included methods such as reenactments out of a commitment to accuracy and honesty. He explained that the collaborative process determined which elements were necessary to authentically portray the subject matter and that acknowledging the camera’s presence and its effects on those being filmed was integral to truthful storytelling.
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