Diaries are different projects to do well. It is so easy either to become solipsistic and lose sight of anything that is outside of the scope of film makers own lens; or else the cameramen becomes anonymous and the project becomes about everying except the author, and moves into documentary territory.
The Perlov Diaries work so well, for several reasons:
Firstly, as in any Diary they focus on the man himself, his immediate friends, family, colleagues and acquanances. And through the 6 volumes, we get to understand about his background, his history and his world view. This he does without becomes overly trivial or didactic. Your knowledge of him build over time, and you develop a real relationship with the man behind the lens.
Secondly, is the historical perspective of the world in which he (and his family) live. This is Israel of the 1970s/1980s. A period of continual battle and strugggle, both inside and out of the ever shifting national borders. The context and viewpoint from within the country is important, as are his views and recctions as an ordinary citizen of the state.
Finally is the craft. Perlov starts off as an 'amateur', playing with the format and the technology. You see him develop his art, but he is a pro. So the final product catches the perfect balance between 'home movies' and 'made for TV documentary'. They never shake off the fact that is is just a man and a very simple hand-held movie camera, but are beautifully edited to maintain a flow and balance that is of broadcast standard. The edit retains the balance between the personal and global; trivia and portentous; and as he and his family grow and mature. He takes you with you on that journey.
This is not 'art house', 'avant garde' or 'trivial'. This is a serious good, fascinating snapshot of the right man, in the right place, at the right time.
