Charlie Shackleton's new documentary: Zodiac Killer Project
Supplied: Charlie Shackleton
What happens when you're all set to make a documentary about a high-profile serial killer, based on a book, written by a cop, who alleged a cover-up...and then suddenly you no longer have the rights to the story? Many filmmakers might have given up. Charlie Shackleton dug in.
He was attempting to make a documentary about the Zodiac Killer, thought to be responsible for five murders in northern California in the late 1960s, who sent cryptic clues to media, taunting police. The result is
Zodiac Killer Project
, in which he breaks down how he would've constructed his narrative. Along the way, he deconstructs the true crime genre - investigating how crime documentaries are pulled together, the narrative tricks designed to draw viewers in and keep them watching.
The film premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival where it won the Next Innovator Award, and it's
screening at this year's New Zealand International Film Festival
.
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