Intro:
‘Documentaries can be seen as either objective or subjective attempts at uncovering the truth, and all documentaries usually strive to achieve a sense of the truth in their work. Differences emerge in the style of execution and sense of perception of a film’s presentation.’
(Jane Chapman, (2009) Issues in Contemporary Documentary)
According to Bill Nichols, ‘Observational documentaries de-emphasise persuasion to give us a sense of what is like to be in a situation without a sense of what it is like for the filmmaker to be there, too. Interactive/Participatory documentaries gives us a sense of what is like for the filmmaker to be in a given situation and how that situation alters as a result.’
Question:
In response to the quotes above, do observational documentaries present an ‘objective’ construction of reality and the other modes of documentary (expository, interactive, reflexive) indicate a ‘subjective’ construction? Does this mean that one mode provides a more authentic representation of the truth than other modes?
Critically discuss with reference to these sources (use all six):
1. Faranheit 9.11 by Michael Moore (2004)
2. Virunga by Orlando von Einsiedel (2014)
3. The Thin Blue Line by Errol Morris (1988)
4. Exit Through the Gift Shop by Banksy (2010)
5. Standard Operating Procedure, Errol Morris (2008)
6. Black Harvest, Robin Anderson, Bob Connolly (1992)