Documentary Modes

The documentary (or non-fiction) film dates back to the dawn of cinema. Indeed, it could be argued that the first motion pictures, known as actualités, were documentaries. Like dramatic films, documentaries developed their own genres and tendencies: newsreels, city symphonies, compilation films, ethnographic films, essay films, cinema verité, and imbedded cinema as well as less reputable forms including fake documentaries, advertisements and other forms of propaganda. More recently we have seen documentaries made from surveillance cameras, by cell phones, and on desktop computers. This seminar will explore the development and implications of several particular modes. Screenings, readings, written reports are required, with the option of producing short DV films as a term project.