Film and video self-biographies

This article introduces, defines, and examines self-biographies, a cinemati c hybrid form that combines the traits of biography and autobiography. By s urveying several important early examples of celebrity self-biography, the essay chronicles important characteristics of the subgenre, and calls atten tion to a potential weakness of the form. The essay assesses not only how t he celebrity-subject's performance impacts on the director, but also how th e director's choices affect the complexity of the treatment. The conclusion probes issues of non-celebrity self-biography.