INTRODUCTION

WHAT  IS DOCUMENTARY ?

Documentary – document –‘Something that furnishes evidence or information on any subject’ Oxford English Dictionary

‘documentary is the presentation of actual facts that makes them credible and telling to people at the same time’ William Stoff

‘something that documents life around us. It’s difficult to define, as documentaries these days are so diverse’ Paul Hamann, Former head of BBC documentaries and history

‘documentary is the creative treatment of actuality’ John Grierson

Defining documentary

Contemporary documentary has become increasing fluid and difficult to define. There exists today an expansive set of differing continuum of documentary styles that film makers draw upon.

Traditional definitions that focus on either capturing real events or recreating real events, purporting to factual accuracy without the inclusion of any fictional elements may seem limiting today.

Also in the digital age notions that adhere to photographic ‘literalism’ (a belief that the camera can give us truth, that we can see truth through the camera’s representations) is itself problematic. Partially because the act of observation as we’ve seen from our other studies is subjective and secondly that with modern digital technologies the camera is a fallible object, that digital images can 

be manipulated, the camera in affect can lie.

LINKS

Different modes and styles  of documentary   
  
90 minute documentary   ( The Art of  Documentary Filmmaking)

STYLES AND MODES OF DOCUMENTARY

Film theorist Bill Nichols  identified six modes ( or styles ) of documentary that documentary makers used as ways of storytelling and addressing "the truth and the "reality " of their topics.


Expository

Documentaries often feature an authoritative voice-over and convey a clear point of view. e.g March of the Penguins  

Participatory

Direct engagement between the filmmaker and the subject. Frequently you see the filmmaker in shots asking questions and expressing their perspective. e.g  Bowling for Columbine

Poetic

Often non-linear with not clear narrative but a juxtaposition of images and sound to create mood and ultimately convey the filmmaker’s message in an abstract way.  e.g Our Daily Bread

Observational 

Changes in digital technology and the rise of smaller cameras and crews have allowed this mode to develop, where the aim is to record subjects and people without the filmmaker directly or excessively  intervening or intruding   e.g Divorce : Iranian Style  


Performative

A documentary that is very personal and often focuses upon a subjective truth significant to the filmmaker themselves. e.g Tongues Untied 

Reflexive

Arriving in the ‘80s the reflexive or postmodern documentary drew attention to its own construction and often the narrative structure included its own creation, or the concept of a film within a film. e.g  the work of Louis Thereoux

Some filmmakers use a combination of these modes and these categories are not fixed or rigid but a starting point for looking at their work.

LINK TO ARTICLE ABOUT MODES OF DOCUMENTARY