Director: Sasha Waters Freyer
Year of Release: 2018
Format: Documentary film
Duration: 90 minutes
Production: American Masters Pictures / ITVS / Independent Lens
This documentary serves as the first major cinematic retrospective of Garry Winogrand (1928–1984), a pioneering figure in American street photography. Through previously unseen archival materials, interviews, and analyses of his vast, mostly undeveloped body of work, All Things Are Photographable examines the photographer’s evolving practice and its lasting impact on the visual culture of the 20th century.
Winogrand’s photographs, captured with a rapid, instinctive energy, documented a period of immense social change in America, spanning postwar optimism to the political fractures of the late 20th century. His images, often ambiguous and unsentimental, challenged conventional photographic composition, embracing chance, imperfection, and the fleeting nature of human expression. The film explores his prolific output, the controversies surrounding his later work, and his continued influence on contemporary documentary photography.
Upon its release, All Things Are Photographable was widely praised for its insightful and thorough examination of Winogrand’s career, earning accolades for its ability to balance admiration with critical reflection. The film premiered at the 2018 South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Recognition for Best Documentary. It was subsequently broadcast as part of PBS’s American Masters series, further solidifying its place in the documentary canon.
Critics highlighted the film’s success in contextualizing Winogrand’s work within the broader sociopolitical landscape of his time. The New York Times called it a "fascinating portrait of an artist both celebrated and misunderstood," while The Guardian noted its "compelling interrogation of photography’s ethical and artistic boundaries." However, some reviewers questioned whether the documentary fully resolved the debates surrounding Winogrand’s later years, particularly the vast volume of undeveloped film he left behind.
