CULT322-11S1 (C) Semester One 2011
Documentary: From the Margins to the Mainstream

Description

Since the turn of the century, there has been an incredible resurgence of interest in documentary film.  Due to the critical and commercial success of a number of recent films, documentary has moved from a modest place in film history to a privileged position within contemporary cinema.  This course will examine the artistic and political principles of documentary in the light of the current renaissance in the genre.

Students will gain an understanding of a range of critical and conceptual issues.  The theoretical focus of the course will be the vexed relationship between representation and reality that defines documentary film.  Topics will include:

• the credibility, veracity and authenticity of the documentary image
• documentary film as historical record, factual evidence, objective witness
• the rhetorical strategies and ideological positions adopted by documentary filmmakers
• authorship and performance
• the use of fiction filmmaking techniques in documentary: narrative structure, dramatic form, cinematic style
• production, exhibition and distribution practices
• the impact of digital technology and new media upon documentary

Pre-requisites

Restrictions

Equivalent Courses

For further information see School of Humanities.