I’m not sure what, or who rather, I was expecting Robert Seidman to be, but he definitely surprised me with his unique personality and straightforward sense of humor. Siedman shared several interesting stories, especially those from his work on the Hasidic Jewish community, in which he had to separate his personal beliefs from those of his subjects in order to properly capture their lives. It is important as a documentarian to put aside our opinions on certain matters so that we can truly document our subject, and not only show one side of them or one side of their lives. I liked that he showed specific clips of his work that spoke to his teachings and then explained the stories and his thought processes behind them. He took immense pride in his work, which I admired, and was eager to share his experiences and advice on the documentary filmmaking process along with the experiences that come with it.
I also enjoyed hearing about the different areas of work Seidman has done, starting as an author and then making his way into screenwriting for documentaries. His confidence and skill seemed to drive his career choices, and it was exciting to see someone who was able to make a career out of his writing skills.