cinéma vérité

[ sin-uh-muh ver-i-tey; French see-ney-mah vey-ree-tey ]

noun

1. a technique of documentary filmmaking in which the camera records actual persons and events without directorial control: introduced in France in the 1950s.
2. a film using this technique or a simulation of it.

cinéma vérité

/ sinema verite /

noun

1. films characterized by subjects, actions, etc, that have the appearance of real life

Word History and Origins

Origin of cinéma vérité¹

1960–65; < French cinéma-vérité literally, cinema-truth, coined as a translation of Russian kinoprávda, a documentary technique developed by the Soviet filmmaker Dziga Vertov (1896–1954)

Word History and Origins

Origin of cinéma vérité¹

French, literally: cinema truth

Example Sentences

Watts: Particularly, the cinema verité episode, where it’s all about the black and white ball.

From Los Angeles Times

“Bert was tired of cultural revolutionaries,” says Newton, “and when he saw me, he saw cinéma vérité.”

From Los Angeles Times

Part photojournalism, part nature doc, part cinéma vérité, part Western, the film defies categorization.

From New York Times

The comedy star, who has sparingly sung onscreen, debuted her version of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” at CinemaCon in Las Vegas last month, where the two-time Oscar nominee was awarded the convention’s Cinema Véritê Award.

From Los Angeles Times

Her husband was a handsome practitioner of extreme cinéma vérité with a modest heroin habit and a predilection for beautiful women.

From New York Times