Sample Documentaries from your reading...

The creative impulse to hold a mirror up to nature to see the reflection of ourselves has always been strong. Since the beginning of film history, filmmakers have enjoyed capturing real life. This basic style of film falls under the category of REALISM. Documentaries are generally considered the most "realistic" of all films.

All documentaries have similar basic principals and/or qualities:
1. The events depicted in the film are unstaged; the events exist above and beyond the diegesis or the act of filming them. The unstaged nature of the events suggest that the events or subjects have an existence independent of the cinema, thus granting them an air of authenticity or "realism".

2. Documentaries are understood to be non-fiction films. The world or diegesis of what appears on screen is considered real, not imaginary (as in fiction films).

3. It is often assumed that the documentary film maker observes, recording events or subject matter objectively. This is, of course, an untrue or uninformed statement.

There are Five different TYPES of documentary:

A. Expository documentary: the film maker's commentary acts as the "voice-of-God", often giving information or perspectives external to the filmed world in order to "see the world afresh, even if the world seems romantic (idealized) and didactic.

The article in the book makes reference to this film. Please watch it as an example of expository documentary.
Coalface (1935)

B. Observational documentary: The film maker records events depicted in the film unobtrusively, without intervention from the film-maker, capturing "real life" without commentary, intertitles, or interviews. The documentary type depicts a "slice of life" or direct representation without comment or subjectivity of the film maker. The film maker is completely invisible and/or uninvolved.

The article does not make reference to this film. High School II (1994), but it is a more recent sort of project similar to Wiseman's work. To help you out, if you were to watch the black and white sections of this film, without the intertitles and God-voice commentary, you can see a few clips from Wiseman's original High School (1968) within this reworked film. Please watch it as another example of expository documentary. Another Wiseman film is Public Housing (1997). This is a good example of the observational film technique. Please watch. Note that in expository film the filmmaker IS presenting a verbal commentary and intertitles that help identify theme and purpose. In "Public Housing" a message is implied, but not overt.

C. Interactive documentary: The filmmaker's perspective and opinion is more evident. Interview styles allow the film maker to participate actively in presenting of events. It is sort of the opposite of the observational documentary. Sometimes the film maker him/herself is present in the film, asking questions or juxtaposing their opinion with others. Unlike expository documentaries, the film maker is present instead of a disembodied voice of authority (god).

Roger & Me (1989) but also Capitalism a Love Story (2009)

D. Reflexive documentary: Going one step further from interactive documentary, the film maker of reflexive documentary does not attempt to hide the convention of film making. You know you are "watching a film" about "making a film." While documentaries are usually considered realistic, the camera work in a reflexive documentary are much more similar to formalism (the opposite style to realism). The article discusses "Man with a Movie Camera" (1928)

E. Performative documentary: Going beyond the reflexive documentary, the performative documentary seeks to evoke mood or atmosphere traditionally found in fiction films. It can be downright avant garde and formalistic. Its purpose is more metaphorical than literal.

The Thin Blue Line (1976) this is a film ABOUT "the thin blue line" not clips of the actual film. There are shots from the actual film though. Here's a better example of performative documentary.
Survivors
One of the most famous performative documentaries is Koyaanisqatsi. Here's a clip.

Quiz: Please watch the following clips and decide what kind of documentary the film would be classified as:

1. Charlie Bit Me
2. Super Size Me
3. March of the Penguins
4. Regen (1929)
5. American Movie

Turn in your answers by the end of class today.