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Documentary
Film 128 | CCN: 15249
4 Units
Session A
Lecture: M,W,F 11:30am-2pm Location: Online – Asynchronous Instruction
Screening: W 2pm-5pm Location: Online – Asynchronous Instruction
In this survey course, we will take on the tradition of documentary filmmaking from the turn of the twentieth century into the present, grappling with questions such as: who speaks for whom in documentaries, and why does it matter? How are notions of objectivity or a point of view constructed on screen? What are the effects of “staging” events in a documentary? Our readings and screenings will cover early actualities, ethnographic film, observational documentary, direct cinema, cinema verité, re-enactment, ‘mockumentary’, personal and poetic documentary from a variety of geographic origins. Along the way, we will track the aesthetic evolutions, ethical questions, and emerging conventions that shape and critique notions of truth, authenticity, and objectivity in documentary film. Special attention will be paid to the ways in which historically marginalized communities have mobilized documentary film strategies to address and combat forms of oppression.
(This course will proceed via remote instruction during Session A)