Documentary Lecture 2

Observational/Interactive and Reflexive Documentary

“...use of real people in undirected situations...By ‘real’ I mean not only the avoidance of professional actors (unless, of course, we see them as actors) but even to the extent that non-actors are not placed into roles selected by the filmmakers.”

Stephen Mamber

Observational Guide

• Stresses Non-Intervention• Relies on editing to give perception of ‘lived or

real time’• Usually tries to eliminate:-- Voice-over-- External sources of music-- Intertitles-- Reenactments-- Interviews

Ethical Considerations

• Has informed consent truly been given?

• Has the filmmaker intruded upon people’s lives in ways that will irrevocably change them, perhaps for the worse, in order to make their film?

• Does the film convey a sense of respect for the lives of others or have they merely been used as signifiers in someone else’s discourse?

• When something happens that may injure or jeopardize one of the participants, should the filmmaker intervene? Or should they even continue filming?

• To what extent and in what ways shall the voice of the people be represented?

Interactive Documentary

• A much greater level of directly addressing the camera/ viewer or interviewer.

• Images may illustrate validity or doubtfulness of what witnesses say.

• The participants may be selectively chosen for what they will say.

• A greater use of dialogue or monologue.• The subject matter may involve filmmaker/Interviewer

interacting with Subject/Person to gain knowledge.• Different editing techniques may be used to give

individual treatment to individual subjects or persons.• Use of intertitles or images to complement/contrast

what the speaker is talking about.

Today’s Films

• High School, Frederick Wiseman, 1968/9

• The War Room, D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, 1993

• The Thin Blue Line, Errol Morris, 1988