Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction
Questions for Consideration and Discussion:What are the obligations of a documentarian to provide the viewer with a balanced picture?How do you know “what a documentary looks like”? What are those conventions that define a documentary? Are their associations positive or negative for you?Documentary filmmaking is an art form as well as an informative medium. How much does documentary differ from other informative genres such as journalism or nonfiction books in this regard?Documentarians often have extended relationships with their subjects. How has this relationship been defined by ethnographic filmmakers, who work with subjects in very different cultures from their own?In many countries, documentary filmmaking has been subsidized with tax dollars. What has motivated these governments to support filmmakers? What have been the effects of government subsidy on production?What’s the difference between a point-of-view public affairs documentary and an advocacy film?