Documentary film

journal like place for me to gather my thoughts and ideas and compare them to my peers. By engaging in weekly screenings my overall knowledge of film production has expanded…

Leonardo DiCaprio, is the main character in the film The Wolf of Wall Street, a film by Martin Scorsese based on the real life memoir of Jordan Belfort. He is a man consumed in himself and Scorsese makes his viewers want to embody his lifestyle. So how was he able to present and glamorize a life filled with all of this sin? With a controlled plot that is a true story, specific camera techniques, and through a unique portrayal of the rise of Belfort. This film is based on a true story and may…

artist, released a documentary called Exit Through the Gift Shop. This film features the story of Theirry Guetta, a French immigrant who has an obsession with capturing every event in his life that ultimately leads him to developing his identity as Mr. Brainwash. His original intent was to create a documentary about street art but we soon find that the documentary begins to focus on Guettas introduction and journey into the street art world. Ultimately we see this documentary expose Guetta’s art…

opening moments of Psycho suggest a documentary, with exact time and place indicated. What might be a viewer’s expectations after such an opening? 1.) Answer: The opening moments of the film may be shown or hinted to be a documentary because they want you to be involved in the life of the characters of the film for example: A documentary involves You in the life's or events of whatever the documentaries about. The viewers of the film when involved in with a documentary are forced to be…

Some of the most profound and powerful documentaries have come from traumatised communities telling stories of heartbreak, loss and devastating experiences. Patricio Guzman, known for his political documentaries ‘The battle of Chile’ and ‘The Pinochet Case’ travels to the Atacama Desert, for his film Nostalgia for the light. The radiant sky above attracts astronomers from around the globe to the coast of Chile, peering into the outer reaches of the universe. But the Atacama holds a darker and…

While directing The War Room, a documentary account of Clinton’s 1992 election campaign, D.A. Pennebaker had to work within a world of limitations. Limited time, limited access to his subjects, and even self-imposed limitations rooted in Pennebaker’s cinema verite style all could have led to a narrow-scoped film lacking in depth and clarity. Instead however, Pennebaker flourishes in this world of limitations. His resulting documentary uses camera angles, audio, and humor to humanize the…

War in Afghanistan – Media Perspectives by Keren Ighalo The media source I liked the best was the documentary: Waging Peace on Canada in Afghanistan by Richard Fitoussi. This media source has the most information on its topic, it gives true facts on the events throughout the war, and the documentary doesn’t cut out any important information just because it isn’t dramatic or cinematic enough. The narrator’s voiceover is scripted and provides context for the on-screen picture. The video is shot…

Miss Representation, a documentary film produced by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, premiered in 2011 and quickly received the concern of audience because of the controversial issue that it raised. Through the popular culture, women are told how to be femininity since they are young. In other words, the traditional feminine norms have caused many restrictions on feminine self-expression and development. When Newsom was pregnant with her daughter, she was inspired to make the film since she wanted her…

The Woman’s Film (1961-70) The Woman’s Film (1961-70) is a documentary created by the San Francisco Newsreel. This filmmaking collective was one of the many groups behind self-representational works addressing women’s oppression (Lesage 223). Known to many as the first feminist documentary, The Woman’s Film marks the era of the Second Wave Feminism in its quest to explore the female oppression that extends beyond the issue of gender into the domains of race, sexuality, and class. Women’s…

There are no random scenes in modern day filmmaking. Each scene is crafted to mirror the overall meaning, mood or idea behind the film it exists within. Like any great art, film is designed by the director to entertain but also inspire thought and reflection upon the ideas it presents. The 2005 film North Country directed by Niki Caro is no exception to the rule, providing a fair amount of emotional manipulation through music, mood and angles. North Country uses cinematography, identification…