RICKY on LEACOCK

RICKY on LEACOCK is an intimate documentary portrait spanning four decades of legendary filmmaker Richard "Ricky" Leacock's life and revolutionary work. Director Jane Weiner began filming her mentor in 1972 as a young student, capturing candid moments with Leacock and his contemporaries—including D.A. Pennebaker, Robert Drew, Jean Rouch, and Jonas Mekas—using the small-format cameras that Leacock pioneered.

From his first film Canary Bananas (1935) to working as cameraman with his mentor, Robert Flaherty's on 'Louisiana Story' (1948), through his development of cinéma vérité techniques in the early 1960s, Leacock obsessively experimented with lightweight camera technology to achieve unprecedented intimacy in documentary filmmaking. His innovations allowed filmmakers to capture "real people doing real things" without traditional production constraints.

Shot using multiple film and video formats over 40 years, Weiner's film embodies Leacock's philosophy of letting subjects tell their own stories through direct observation. This patient approach reveals both the technical innovator and charismatic personality behind influential documentaries like "Primary" and "Happy Mother's Day."

RICKY on LEACOCK preserves crucial cinema history through one of documentary's most influential yet underappreciated pioneers. Richard Leacock's technical innovations democratized filmmaking, making portable cameras accessible to everyone—presaging today's digital revolution where his dream technology is now ubiquitous.

The film captures irreplaceable conversations with cinéma vérité pioneers, many now deceased, offering essential insights into techniques that continue influencing contemporary filmmakers. Jane Weiner's 40-year commitment demonstrates the power of long-form documentary making, allowing the subject's story to unfold naturally over time.

For today's filmmakers, the documentary serves as both inspiration and instruction, showing how technical innovation serves artistic vision and how the pursuit of cinematic truth requires both technological mastery and human empathy.

Screened at Telluride, USA 2010 (with Leacock attending);
Flaherty Seminar, USA 2011;
DOC-NYC, USA 2011;
World Premiered at It's All True, Brazil 2012;
Biografilm, Italy 2012;
Mill Valley, USA 2012;
DOKFest, Kassel, Germany 2012;
Int'l Documentary Association DocuWeek, Los Angeles & New York, USA 2012;
Syracuse, USA 2012;
Starz-Denver, USA 2012;
Dok.Fest, Munich, Germany 2013;
DocYard, Cambridge, USA 2013;
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain 2016;
Cinéma Vérité Festival, Tehran, Iran 2016.

Featured Review

Variety "Of primary interest to film students and cineastes... Assembly is astute, with some visible archival-footage wear and the different formats utilized over time adding to the pic's historic breadth."
Arts Fuse "A fabulous, definitive documentary feature on his work and life... a gift of pure, radiant love." — Gerald Peary
IndieWire "A film based on four decades of footage following Leacock... Results whet the appetite for further reappraisal of Leacock's screen work."

Press Coverage

International Documentary Association (IDA) Meet the DocuWeeks Filmmakers feature interview with Jane Weiner. Link
IndieWire "Will You See This Movie? | Tribute to Documentary Legend Ricky Leacock". Link
Variety Full film review and industry coverage. Link
Arts Fuse "A Definitive Documentary of a Pioneer Filmmaker". Link