Sherman's March

"Ross McElwee was supposed to make a straightforward historical documentary about Sherman’s March to the sea. Instead, on the eve of commencement of principal photography, McElwee breaks up with his girlfriend. In the opening shots of the film, we see him sweeping an empty NY loft and wondering what to do. The answer, it turns out, is to make a movie about finding a new girlfriend. Now that’s a pivot! My two favorite parts: 1) McElwee’s old teacher telling him he’ll never get a girlfriend as long as he’s looking at his prospects through a viewfinder; 2) McElwee sets the camera running in the corner of a motel room, lies on a bed in the far corner, and drunkenly confesses his loneliness to the camera." - Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney