"I did documentaries for maybe 10 years before I turned to fiction films"

Walter Salles, a renowned Brazilian filmmaker, has made substantial contributions to both documentary and fiction filmmaking, and this quote succinctly captures the transitional stage in his career. When he says, "I did documentaries for maybe ten years before I turned to fiction films", he's using a peek into his advancement as a filmmaker, highlighting both the experience and the deliberate transition from one kind of storytelling to another.

Documentary filmmaking is frequently rooted in reality, supplying a direct reflection of the world without imaginary embellishments. For Salles, investing a years in this realm most likely developed his observational abilities and deepened his understanding of real-world concerns, cultures, and stories. This duration would have been crucial for developing his visual sense and storytelling methods, permitting him to capture genuine human experiences and translate them into a visual medium. The patience and attention to information required in documentaries might have likewise influenced his directorial design, instilling a sense of authenticity and empathy in his later works.

When Salles mentions his shift "to fiction films", it indicates a mindful decision to explore the imaginative flexibility and narrative possibilities that fiction offers. Fiction filmmaking permits directors to craft stories that, while they may be influenced by truth, are unlimited by it. This shift may have provided Salles with a more comprehensive canvas on which to paint his stories, blending the factual grounding of documentaries with the imaginative scope of fiction.

The effect of his documentary background is often apparent in his fiction films-- such as in "The Motorcycle Diaries" and "Central Station"-- which are marked by a profound realism and focus on character-driven stories that resonate with audiences on a human level. This background enables him to create fiction that feels deeply real, interesting, and significant. Ultimately, this quote encapsulates an essential juncture in Salles' profession, highlighting his journey from recording truth to constructing it anew through cinematic storytelling.