In an interview I recently read, Ross McElwee briefly discusses the possibility of making his documentary, Sheman’s March, into a fiction film and/or a fictional cable series. Some interesting points were made about the purpose behind doing this.  During the Cold War, the idea of nuclear warfare had everyone in a panic.  McElwee’s documentary brings a lot of attention to this.

Interestingly enough, they go on to talk about how there’s actually a much higher risk of nuclear war today than there was during the Cold War.  Yet, most people today remain pretty unconcerned and subsequently unaffected by the fear and anxiety McElwee tells us about.

I agree that this would be an interesting idea to explore for a fiction film or series.  However, it’s my opinion that it would take a lot away from McElwee’s work to make it anything other than what it is.

A lot of the reason’s that Sherman’s March is so successful can be credited to the style he uses.  The idea of it being a personal documentary that captures real people and their real beliefs gives it a lot more validity.  Being non-fiction says a lot for the work.  Making into a fiction flim/fiction series would take all the legitimacy of genuinely displaying a ‘Meditation on the Possibility of Romantic Love In the South During an Era of Nuclear Weapons Proliferation’.