COMPONENT 2

 COMPONENT 2 

 

SECTION B: DOCUMENTARY 

 

-       Modes of documentary 

-       Filmmakers’ theories

-       Case study Amy (Kapadia: 2016)

 

 

Documentary as a genre

 

o   Documentary as a style of filmmaking endeavours to document rather than fictionalise

o   Documentary is enmeshed with ideas of representation and the “real”

o   Reality and realism

o   To create the idea of “the real” (art – Realism VS Impressionism) 

 

Re-presentation 

 

o   What is presented on the screen is never “a window on reality” or a transparent reflection of reality. 

o   Reality on the screen is mediated by the production processes: camera techniques, editing, lighting, locations

o   All the above are choices

o   These choices come with conscious and unconscious bias 

 

Modes of documentary 

 

-       Observational

-       Participatory 

-       Poetic

-       Expository

-       Reflexive

-       Performative 

 

 

OBSERVATIONAL:

 

Emerges in the 1960’a with the rise of new production technology. Notion of the hidden camera and camera person aided by lighter and more portable equipment for being held in the field. Hidden process of filmmaking – in order to observe “real” life unobserved. Idea that reality emerges when it is not produced or re-created artificially. Metaphor of the fly… 

 

Key features of fly on the wall: 

 

o   Invisibility of the production enables “reality” and “truth” to emerge without any mediated reality

o   Authenticity 

o   No tampering with materials

o   Enables spectators to arrive at their own conclusion or to make their own judgements. 

 

PERFORMATIVE:

 

At the centre of the documentary, questions are raised about knowledge. Material is gathered from wide-ranging sources. The idea of knowledge and meaning as subjective rather than objective. Sharing similarities with poetic. 

 

POETIC:

 

Documentaries draw on a range of filmmaking styles and techniques to piece the documentary together. This means weaving in music, effects, dance, and other multi-media elements to create the desired final piece. This is why poetic and performative documentaries overlap – creating meaning which can be subjective. 

 

PARTICIPATORY MODE:

 

Filmmakers go into the field to be part of the events first-hand – to experience them and even shape them. They reflect on their experiences. Can be seen to be provocative. 

 

EXPOSITORY:

 

Voice of God – an omniscient presence/voice. A steering Prescence of the filmmaker. Guiding the spectator towards a particular outcome/interpretation of the events or the “truth”. Underlying assumption that the spectator will not arrive at the objective truth if they are not guided towards this by the narrator. 

 

Participatory – Michael Moore, Nick Broomfield

 

Observational – Kim Longinotto 

 

o   Working with a team

o   Not telling people what to do

o   Detach herself from the emotions

o   Final product – “ownership” – their story

o   Moral and ethical intent 

 

 

AMY 

 

Observational because: 

 

-       Kapadia is hidden/not visible 

-       The spectator can observe events and arrive at their own understanding of the events or the truth

-       No interfering voice or authorial presence