Kelly Reichardt on Power, Hierarchy and Hubris in the U.S.: ‘The American Story Keeps Repeating Itself’

Apr 21, 2026 11:51pm PT

Kelly Reichardt on Power, Hierarchy and Hubris in the U.S.: ‘The American Story Keeps Repeating Itself’

“The American story keeps repeating itself,” U.S. filmmaker Kelly Reichardt told the audience of her masterclass Tuesday at Visions du Réel, a documentary film festival in Nyon, Switzerland.

During an onstage conversation that is part of a wider tribute to the director, Reichardt was asked whether she is rewriting the American myth through her films. She instead framed her work as a shift in perspective: “I don’t feel schooled enough to be rewriting history. But as far as the cinematic language of the Western – which is mostly told from the point of view, obviously, of male directors and male protagonists – it is interesting to dive in and change the point of view and see what that does to the mythology.”