It would be incorrect, albeit tempting, to say that documentary film rode the wave of “reality” obsession to its current level of popularity. If anything, documentary has succeeded, as both a critics’ darling and a profitmaker, despite the reality television craze. People enjoy reality shows because their own voyeurism happily confirms that the narrative arcs of scripted television are present in “real” life, as well. The documentary’s success as a genre, though, thrives on its inability of its films to answer all the questions they ask, intentionally or unintentionally. For this reason, perhaps, the AFI film festival Silverdocs has used a campaign of all questions to promote its line-up.

“Grizzly Man,” by the world-renowned German director Werner Herzog, had already morphed into the centerpiece of the festival even a month ago. The festival’s directors had to add a second screening Friday night to accommodate the high demand. Suspicious, that a movie about a man obsessed with giant Alaskan bears, would garner such attention. Yet, “Grizzly Man” took the audience along with it into the core of the mystery of its central (human) character, and as all good documentaries do, simply left it there to wander, without a map.

The film relies mostly on the footage shot by its hero, antihero and guide, Timothy Treadwell, an eco-activist of sorts. For 13 summers straight, Treadwell camped in the Alaskan wilderness to live with the bears. He used his footage to teach elementary school children about the dangers facing the species and even earned himself a spot on Letterman.