One of the pioneers of Direct Cinema D.A. Pennebaker died naturally at his home on Long Island.
The American documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker has passed away at the age of 94, known for his documentaries, including the classic “Dont Look Back” (1967), “Monterey Pop” (1968) and “The War Room” (1993) and “Elaine Stritch at Liberty” (2002).
D.A. Pennebaker was best known for capturing pivotal moments in the history of rock music and politics, including Bob Dylan’s 1965 tour of England and Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign.
The revolutionary film-maker died Thursday night of natural causes at his home on Long Island.
He and his wife, Chris Hegedus, with whom he made most of his films in the past several decades, were Oscar nominated in 1994 for best documentary for “The War Room.”
Pennebaker is the first documentary filmmaker to receive a lifetime achievement Oscar. For directing ‘The War Room’ he even earned an Oscar nomination for the best documentary.
In the early 1960s he and filmmakers including Richard Leacock and Albert Maysles created the handheld, easily portable camera equipment that allowed for the formation of the cinema verite movement.
