Of the many motion picture luminaries who passed through the area for the recent AFI International Dallas Film Festival, only one came bearing a fresh, new golden statuette. The shiny hardware tucked away somewhere by Alex Gibney was his Academy Award for Best Documentary for the probing Taxi to the Dark Side, an investigation into the seamier corners of U.S. rendition and torture practices.

Gibney

Gibney’s 2005 documentary about corporate graft and greed, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, brought him a reputation for expose and his first Oscar nomination.

Gibney’s latest work, however, covers lighter ground.

When compared with the subjects of Gibney’s earlier films, the loony actions of a drug-addled journalist seem mild. But they are also immensely entertaining, as seen in Gibney’s new documentary Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

Gibney began his work shortly after Thompson took his own troubled life in February 2005. In fact, the director attended the star-studded funeral.

 “You definitely feel pretty awkward, walking around with cameras in hand. I’d just started, and no one knew me, but we certainly got a lot of looks,” Gibney said, recalling his reception at Thompson’s farewell gathering.

The socially aware documentarian confesses he hasn’t been a Thompson fan his whole life.

“I didn’t know him but I knew about his writing. … There was a great sense of discovery. One of the things in research was rediscovering how funny he was and how relevant he was. I still think his best book was the Las Vegas book [Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas]. It’s still relevant about things today,” Gibney said.

But why do a documentary now about the infamous Thompson, whose best work came decades ago?

Gibney laughed.

“He represented a guy who talked to everyone. He reached out to both sides. That’s why he jumped in the car with Richard Nixon for a two-hour ride to the airport so they could talk about football,” he said.

Thompson left behind a large enough body of work to present a serious editing challenge.

“Early on, we decided to concentrate on 1965-75 because that’s when he did his best stuff. The film does jump around after that period,” the director said.

“His writing after 9/11 was very far-sighted, telling even then how we were going to enter a period in which our civil liberties would be curbed.”

The film boasts a great variety of A-list interview subjects, including Jimmy Carter, George McGovern, Pat Buchanan, Jimmy Buffett and many others.

Gibney believes documentary film is experiencing a “golden age.”

“Like Hunter, we’ve tossed out the old rule book, which is great,” Gibney said.

Gibney said a documentary should capture the truth, even if the truth shows only one side.

“If you find the truth, you don’t have to balance it,” he says, before further explaining why documentaries on global warming and creationism should present only the factual sides.

In Gonzo, Johnny Depp, who played Thompson in the movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, narrates Thompson’s written words. Depp’s recitation adds nuance and flavor to the film.

“I think getting Johnny Depp was key, not just because celebrities add something but because Johnny had gone and lived in Hunter’s cabin and felt connected with him,” Gibney said. “I think Johnny inhabited him.”

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson opens Friday at the Landmark Magnolia.