Arts & Leisure

MNFF to screen noir doc ‘The Thin Blue Line’

THE MIDDLEBURY NEW Filmmakers Festival will host “The Thin Blue Line” on Feb. 9, at 3 p.m., at the Middlebury Town Hall Theater. Explore iconic films and join post-screening discussions on the enduring allure of film noir with screenings through April. ‏Courtesy photo

‏I remember the surprise I experienced in 1988 when I first saw Erroll Morris’ pioneering true crime documentary, “The Thin Blue Line.” I’d never seen anything like it, with its relentless questioning, probing interviews, tense recreations, shadowy detectives, and appropriation of film noir techniques using dramatic lighting and rich saturated colors. Today, we may take this documentary aesthetic and practice for granted — but it all started here.