Unpacking the ethics and responsibility inherent in documentary filmmaking, this powerful rallying cry for the film industry puts some of most successful documentaries of the past three decades under the microscope, revealing the impact their commercial success has had on the lives of the onscreen participants. Focusing on the present day “stars” of The Staircase, Hoop Dreams, The Wolfpack, as well as The Square and Capturing the Friedmans, this film brings together a plethora of influential names in the doc space—Sonya Childress,Sam Pollard, Thom Powers, Gordon Quinn, and more—who speak to the ethics of documenting people’s trauma.

Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall met at Tribeca Festival in 2017 with the premieres of their films A Suitable Girl and Copwatch. They deeply connected over their filmmaking experiences and their feelings about the industry and decided to co-direct Subject. They formed Lady & Bird in 2021 alongside Rita Baghdadi.