I Am Heath Ledger

The documentary is built on footage Ledger shot himself. From adolescence he carried a camera constantly, recording himself, his friends, the videos he directed and the parts he was preparing. Adrian Buitenhuis and Derik Murray combine that archive with interviews with his family, his sisters and the people he worked with. Its best quality is showing Ledger as someone interested less in acting than in directing and photography. His death is not at the centre and the question of drugs is passed over quickly, a choice that drew criticism. Even so it is the most direct source we have for what an actor who left Australia and died at thirty was doing, seen through his own eyes. Who it is for: viewers who like portraits of performers and archive-based documentary. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a critical eye.