AFI looks at 2006 "Moments of Significance"

Casting the spotlight on eight developments that had an impact on the worlds of TV and film, the list leads off with Eastwood, dubbed ‘‘a national treasure,’’ citing the fact that he completed two films, ‘‘Flags of Our Fathers’’ and ‘‘Letters From Iwo Jima’’ that ‘‘not only complement one another, but they resonate together to create one of the great motion picture experiences of the new century.’’

The AFI also hailed Eastwood’s team of collaborators — including producers Steven Spielberg and Robert Lorenz, writer Paul Haggis, cinematographer Tom Stern, editor Joel Cox, production designer Henry Bumstead and casting director Phyllis Huffman — for providing ‘‘an epic reminder that the American viewpoint is not the only human perspective.’’

‘‘Letters’’ also was included among the AFI’s choices of the top 10 movies of the year, which were announced this month.

The new list concluded by eulogizing Altman, who died Nov. 20. It called him ‘‘a true maverick of American film. His body of work — both in film and television — reflects an exceptional diversity in genre, but always with his indelible signature. From overlapping dialogue to the epic ensemble pieces filled with actors who revered him, Altman’s style continues to inspire artists and audiences alike.’’

The other developments cited by the AFI include:

• The documentary speaks to the world. Citing Davis Guggenheim’s ‘‘An Inconvenient Truth,’’ which examined global warming; James Longley’s ‘‘Iraq in Fragments,’’ one of a number of docus that took on the war in Iraq; and Spike Lee’s ‘‘When the Levees Broke,’’ an epic take on Hurricane Katrina’s effects on New Orleans. The AFI noted ‘‘in 2006, it was the documentary that best illustrated the power of film and television to bring us together as a global audience — and, with hope, to affect change.’’

The Hollywood Reporter