At his debut in August 1999 The sixth sense exceeded box office expectations, shocked audiences with its surprise ending, received six Oscar nominations and made the 29-year-old writer and director M. Night Shyamalanbecame a household name. His next two films, Unbreakable And Signreceived further praise and achieved similarly impressive box office numbers, proving that his success with The sixth sense was no accident and his rise to stardom was not over. By this time, he had also managed to establish a unique reputation as a filmmaker, due to his penchant for telling suspenseful, exciting and supernatural stories.

When the publication of The village – Shyamalan’s next film at the time – was fast approaching in 2004, expectations were high, and audiences were waiting on tenterhooks to see what thrilling and scary things he had up his sleeve. At the same time, a documentary about the mysterious filmmaker was airing on the Sci Fi Channel. The film was dubbed The Buried Secret by M. Night ShyamalanThe television special was intended to shed light on Shyamalan’s allegedly reclusive behavior and the often mysterious nature of his film productionsBut before the show was even broadcast, The Buried Secret by M. Night Shyamalan was shrouded in controversy.

The Buried Secret by M. Night Shyamalan (2004)

The Hidden Secret of M. Night Shyamalan – the mysterious and supernatural elements of the life and career of filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan. Presented as an unauthorized documentary, the film delves into Shyamalan’s background and suggests that he harbors a dark secret that influences his films.

Release date

June 18, 2004

director

Nathaniel Kahn

Duration

125 minutes

Main genre

documentary

Authors

Melissa Foster

Studio(s)

Blinding Edge Pictures, Terley Productions

Sales Partner

The Sci-Fi Channel

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What is “The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan” about?

The Buried Secret by M. Night Shyamalan follows director Nathaniel Kahns efforts to unearth details about the titular filmmaker’s past, personal life, approach, and elusive inclinations. Filmed while Shyamalan was in the middle of shooting The village In Pennsylvania, Kahn conducted interviews with his subject’s childhood friends, teachers, acquaintances, two A-list Hollywood actors and the filmmaker himself.But from the very first moments of the documentary, something seems wrong, as Kahn constantly delves into the material to gain access to Shyamalan and his past.

Kahn’s enigmatic encounters begin with a group of young fans hanging around outside Shyamalan’s house, one of whom claims the filmmaker is “connected to the other side.” Two similarly enigmatic interviews with Shyamalan follow, in which he appears reticent and uncomfortable, expressing reservations about participating in the open access documentary. Kahn also receives an “unauthorized interview” with Johnny Depp (allegedly considered for Mel GibsonRole in Sign) and speaks with The village‘S Adrien Brodyboth of which describe Shyamalan in mysterious ways. Kahn gives further unauthorized interviews, one of which reveals that Shyamalan drowned in a pond as a child and was brought back to life. This encounter with death left a profound spiritual impression on him.

Intrigued by the alleged incident, Kahn learns of a series of unexplained drownings in the same pond. He is convinced that the filmmaker has actually been communicating with spirits. However, the more Kahn investigates, the more he angers the Sci Fi Channel’s superiors and Shyamalan. The latter abruptly withdraws from the documentary when Kahn reveals that he has learned the intimate and hidden details of the filmmaker’s notoriously private past. Convinced that he has found an exciting new approach to his project, Kahn attempts to conduct one final interview with Shyamalan, but he never shows up. Instead, he leaves a voice message denouncing the documentary as a fabricated waste of time that no one would take seriously. As it turned out, Shyamalan’s last message to Kahn was – unintentionally or not – a slap in the face.

“The Buried Secret of M. Night Shyamalan” is a fake documentary

Given M. Night Shyamalan’s penchant for pulling the rug out from under viewers, it’s only fitting that the 2004 “documentary” about his mysterious reputation turned out to be a hoax. He used the opportunity to promote The villageShyamalan and Sci Fi worked together behind the scenes to hype up the fake documentary, going so far as to mislead reputable publications about the nature of the project and leak details about alleged tensions between the filmmaker and the network. In hindsight, the final revelation seems relatively obvious, considering that the TV special aired about two weeks before the release of Shyamalan’s The villageHowever, this did not prevent the relevant authorities from issuing further statements following the discovery.

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Unfortunately for Shyamalan and the Sci Fi Channel, it was revealed immediately after the broadcast that the project was misleading. For its part, Sci Fi admitted that it had misled viewers. The network’s president revealed that the documentary was part of a “guerrilla marketing campaign,” and further admitted, “We created a fictional special that was part fact and part fiction, and Night was part of the creation from the beginning. We thought it would cause controversy and probably went a step too far.” NBC Universal, which recently acquired Sci Fi, also issued a statement through a spokeswoman. Rebecca Marks“We never intend to offend the public or the press, and we value our relationship with both,” she said. The Buried Secret by M. Night Shyamalan probably increased the anticipation of The villagewhile at the same time contributing to the established mystique of the filmmaker, the man who thrilled the audience with The sixth sense, UnbreakableAnd Sign was at a turning point in his career.

Career setback for M. Night Shyamalan after “The Village”

Whether you consider The Buried Secret by M. Night Shyamalan an exercise in playful disrespect or a shameless venture of self-promotion, The premiere of the fake documentary came before a significant turning point in Shyamalan’s career. After the success of three consecutive films, he found himself in polarizing territory when The village received a mixed and polarized reception upon its debut, not least because of a highly divisive ending. For some, Shyamalan’s penchant for unexpected twists and narrative deceptions had been exhausted by the 2004 thriller, suggesting that the filmmaker harbored a sense of infallibility.

The next decade was not particularly good for Shyamalan. Lady in the water To The event To The Lord of the ElementsThe filmmaker’s once-good track record with critics plummeted, and although some of his films achieved respectable box office numbers, audiences’ reaction to his work was often lackluster. Fortunately, however, his reputation experienced a revival with two consecutive hits, The visit And ShareIn both he returned to his old form as a master of suspense, thrill and intricate storytelling. Although there is ultimately no direct or obvious connection between the controversy surrounding The Buried Secret by M. Night Shyamalan and given the filmmaker’s career downturn in the years that followed, one can’t help but wonder whether the infamous fake documentary contributed to tarnishing the perception of Shyamalan and his creative instincts.

The village can currently be rented or purchased on Prime Video in the US

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