Vérité

Vérité is a French noun meaning truth. In English-language contexts, the term is most closely associated with a documentary filmmaking approach called cinéma vérité (cinema of truth). Emergent in France in the 1960s, the movement sought to reveal real-life social phenomena through direct engagement with subjects and minimal artificial staging. Filmmakers such as Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin helped articulate the method, and their 1961 film Chronicle of a Summer is widely cited as a landmark.

Cinéma vérité emphasizes capturing authentic events and interactions with portable equipment, natural lighting, and synchronous sound. Filmmakers may observe, interview, or elicit responses from participants, and editing plays a crucial role in shaping the narrative. Because the camera and interviewer influence behavior, proponents regard cinéma vérité as a constructed representation of reality rather than pure objectivity. The concept has influenced documentary practice worldwide and interacted with other approaches such as direct cinema and reality programming, fueling ongoing discussions about truth, ethics, and representation in nonfiction media.