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Documentary

John Grierson is considered the father of documentary film. He coined the term "documentary" and worked for the BBC, helping establish the National Film Board of Canada in 1939 and the Australian Film Commission. Documentaries can be defined as films that explore real subjects factually and accurately, though some may offer subjective viewpoints. Documentary film history focuses on a central canon of influential films. Different documentary genres and styles emerged over time, including direct cinema, cinema verite, observational, participatory, reflexive, performative, and more experimental forms.

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462 views

Documentary

John Grierson is considered the father of documentary film. He coined the term "documentary" and worked for the BBC, helping establish the National Film Board of Canada in 1939 and the Australian Film Commission. Documentaries can be defined as films that explore real subjects factually and accurately, though some may offer subjective viewpoints. Documentary film history focuses on a central canon of influential films. Different documentary genres and styles emerged over time, including direct cinema, cinema verite, observational, participatory, reflexive, performative, and more experimental forms.

Uploaded by

cakeballsrule
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Workers leaving the Factory

Lumire Brothers

1895

Canadian documentary films

John Grierson
Scottish filmmaker who Coined term documentary Worked for the BBC Set up the National Film Board 39 Set up Australian Film Commission

1898 -1972

Dir Robert Flaherty, 1926 Ethnofiction Docufiction

Definitions
Screen Media Arts, p 285

Film or video that explores a subject in a way the public expects to be factual and accurate. Documentaries may be balanced by including various viewpoints, or they may be subjective, offering the viewpoint and impressions of one producer (PBS) A program that is a creative treatment of actuality other than a news, current affairs, sports coverage, magazine, infotainment or light entertainment program, and corporate and/or training programs (Australian Film Commission)

Documentary film history is primarily based around what Bruzzi calls a central canon of films that is deeply exclusive and conservative.
Screen Media Arts p. 286

Additional definitions
Drama-documentary: dramatisation of reality, past or present (mainly tv) Docudrama: fictional narrative treated in documentary style Mockumentary: fictional narrative presented in documentary style (using parody or contempt to subvert or provoke the subject)
Screen Media Arts, p 304,5

Documentary genres compilation film


82 Directed by Jayne Loader Kevin Rafferty Pierce Rafferty

Interview, talking heads


77 Directed by Nancy Adair Andrew Brown Rob Epstein

Direct cinema Canada NFB


Directed by Michel Brault & Gilles Groulx 58

Salesman

68 US

Directed by Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin

Cinema vrit
Chronique dUn Et France 1961 Directed by Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin

Nature documentaries
05 Directed by Luc Jacquet

Portrait documentaries
Directed by Terry Zwigoff 1994

Synthetic film
Directed by Lynne Fernie Aerlyn Weissman NFB, Studio D 92

Modes of representation
Bill Nichols

Expository or rhetorical Narrator addresses the audience (voice of God) Strong argument is proposed and alternatives discredited Persuade audience and promote filmmakers idea

Linear narrative, musical score to effect, literal presentation

Modes of representation
Bill Nichols

Observational (cinema vrit and direct cinema) Emerged after WWII with lighter technology Observe and reveal life Filmmaker is neutral Record, observe, preserve or reveal a hidden reality Camera is objective, at eye level, narrative is linear. Use of direct sound, seldom a soundtrack

Modes of representation
Bill Nichols

Participatory

Filmmaker engages with subject


Collaborative nature of production process between person filming and persons being filmed

Ethical considerations vis vis control of the camera and power of the filmmaker

Modes of representation
Bill Nichols

Reflexive Challenge the authenticity of documenting reality Point out artificial nature of filmmaking Deconstruct the authority of the document: who is funding the film? what is the director trying to promote? how are the films conventions distorting reality? Effective mode for political documentaries

Modes of representation
Bill Nichols

Performative Recreating and reconstructing historical events for the camera Use of actors to recreate events Filmmaker is in the film as an actor (Michael Moore) (Auto)biographic documentaries

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance


Alanis Obomsawin 93

Modes of documentary
Expository Observational

Participatory
Reflexive

Performative

Errol Morris 03

Poetic documentaries

20s 30s experimental films (city symphonies) Lyrical and impressionistic Presenting moods, patterns, colours, ideas, concepts, movement of things, impressions of reality Emotional and affective information

Godfrey Reggio 2002

Animated documentaries
Scientific abstractions Something that we cannot see with the naked eye Something that no longer exists

Recreating historical locations, events

Paul Wells 4 modalities


Imitative Subjective Fantastic Postmodern

Ryan
Chris Landreth 04

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