The great video essayist Kevin B. Lee of Fandor has created a piece about how deftly Steve James uses different tactics to tell the story of a man who couldn’t speak for himself. From Kevin’s piece, which you can read more of here:

When looking at Life Itself, the remarkable biography of legendary film critic Roger Ebert, it’s worth thinking about how this story is told, given that the main character doesn’t speak the way most of us do. Ebert’s bouts with cancer in his salivary gland led to the removal of his vocal cords; he could only speak by typing through his laptop. These circumstances would pose daunting challenges for many a filmmaker, but director Steve James resourcefully employs a number of tactics to give voice to Ebert’s story.

Read the rest of Kevin’s piece here.

Kevin B. Lee

Kevin B. Lee is a film critic, filmmaker, and producer of over 100 video essays on film and television. He is Founding Editor and Chief Video Essayist at Fandor Keyframe and founding partner of dGenerate Films.

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