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RTVF 313-1 : Doc Film History and Criticism

Description

What we call “documentary” film today, is situated within a long history of the genre’s evolution from still photography to moving images. We will study the documentary genre from the 1890s to the present, and study its iterations such as: actualities, anthropology films, engaged films, cinéma vérité, militant films, and livestreaming.

These case studies will enable us to examine elements of style, form, and technique that have transformed documentary film production and reception over decades. We will draw on the foundational histories and theories of the documentary genre in order to ask the following: What is the status of documentary film today in the era of competing discourses around “fake,” “misinformation,” and “truth”? How did documentary shape the discourse around what is considered visual evidence? What is considered documentary today with access to digital technologies?