Jean Rouch (1917-2004) created many process driven film works. He is a self professed anthropologist which maybe gives us a hint as to how his working style became part of his process of creating. Not being a traditional film-maker (i.e. That of a studio- based director) his way of working was far more grounded in 'approach' than in the achievement of a goal.

As an anthropologist his approach to creating films that deal with these issues is key, as his chosen approach will infiltrate into the results of his scientific documentary. However, it is not always right to class him outside of 'cinema'. His works were often 'feature length' and were shown in cinemas across the world.

Perhaps that is his appeal in regards to the application of a particular theory of practice over his work. The juxtaposition of anthropology and narrative-based documentary is a perfect grounding for building a conceptual framework with which to shoot a film.

Whilst many of his films involve interesting ideas in relation to processes, two stand out more than the others. Chronique d'un été (1961) ('Chronicle of the Summer') and Ciné-portrait de Margaret Mead(1978) ('A Cinematic Portrait of Margaret Mead'). Both of these films are built upon the process by which they were created.

'Chronique d'un été', was made during the summer of 1960 by Rouch and the sociologist Edgar Morin. It aimed to be as 'true as a documentary, but with the content of a fiction film.' With new technology available to them, the most important being lighter 16mm cameras for hand held work, and vast breakthroughs in sound engineering, they pioneered a direct or live aesthetic known later, and indeed, coined by Rouch himself as 'cinéma vérité'.

The basis of their process was to film what they saw as 'true life', but to encapsulate the ability to engage on a subjective level, getting people to talk about their experiences and ambitions. However, what comes out in the film is the notion of happiness, most notably, whether or not the interviewee is happy or not.

What emerges through the process is a 'cinematic experience', so to speak, the film itself is affecting in the relationships that are drawn up with the 'human beings' on the screen (at the time a very interesting and new concept) and because of the process involved in creating it as a whole it comes together leaving an atmosphere of thought, on the viewers part. Because we have been in such close quarters with the people on screen, we are able to consider them much more palpably than if they were actors upon a Hollywood set.

The film opens with a woman called Marceline. She is what can only be described as a form of market researcher. She is essentially asking people to tell her how happy they are. This sequence is important because it addresses issues that Rouch and Morin were interested in – that of human/people relationships, yet it has real overtones of Rouch's closeness to Nigeria – a country whose inhabitants he had seen become more and more dissatisfied with living in a country that was on the edge of rule by government agenda through capitalist consortium.

The film then concentrates on a set of 'characters'. Rumour has it that Morin 'engineered' these characters and was later criticised for his categorisation and structural approach to them (he titled them 'Petit Bourgeois', and 'Factory Worker' for example.) But this approach bred a definite sense of identity on the screen – individuality is the key term – there is beauty in the simple conversations between Angelo & Landry, which are allowed to flow for the camera, and Marceline tells us of her deportation during the war. Here there are definite humans and 'Chroniclé d'un ete' allows them to exist.

However, this approach became more and more difficult for Rouch & Morin to consider. The most intriguing part of the film follows when they essentially 'open-up' their process and demonstrate the impossibility of full objectivity in the documentary process. They film themselves filming in an attempt to show the truth in constructing a truthful film. But with this comes further minefields.

Authenticity of the parties on screen became another hurdle to overcome – Rouch and Morin decided to screen the film to the 'characters' involved. Even they were unable to decide when they were acting, and when they weren't – when the camera was shooting them, were they playing up to it, or were they being themselves as they would be when a camera was pointed at them.

It is well documented that Rouch and Morin stated that they had unequivocally failed in their attempt to 'offer a slice of life' – the very act of filming anything transforms it. To Jean Rouch, truth became something he sought to find in his attempt to represent the realistic in the everyday life, but it always alluded him when he had a camera in his hand.

Chronique d'un été