HOW TO WATCH A DOCUMENTARY

 
The difference between a DOCUMENTARY FILM and a feature film is analogous to the
difference between a nonfiction book and a novel: both may be based on "real life"
(indeed, the best fiction is often drawn from real events, feelings, and experiences), but the
relationship with the reader is different. From a nonfiction book, a reader expects that the
narrative will be based on verifiable facts, and that the narrative is supported by evidence.
The reader understands that the novel, on the other hand, ultimately comes from the
author's imagination.
 
Both kinds of books are creative works: the phrasing of words, arrangement of materials,
and the framing of the topic are artistic decisions made by the author. Both kinds of creative
works can also have points of view: just because one is based primarily on evidence and the
other primarily on imagination does not make one subjective and the other objective.
 
We must keep the same points in mind when we view a DOCUMENTARY FILM. A documentary,
unlike a feature film, is based primarily on evidence ("documents"), which are ideally
featured in the course of the documentary film. But a documentary film is nonetheless still a
creative work that has a point of view. When we watch a documentary, therefore, we must
be active viewers, analyzing the presentation of evidence and the construction of the
narrative with a critical eye. We should also feel comfortable evaluating the aesthetics of a
documentary film (light, sound, and images) in the same way that we might evaluate a
feature film. (The one major difference: a feature film creator can manipulate images,
sounds, and lights in the service of artistic creativity; ideally, a documentarian should not
manipulate her sources, only the context in which they are presented.)
 
Documentary topics can vary: often a documentary centers on a notable event (or series
of events); a notable person; or a notable social phenomenon. The key word here is
"notable": one of the clearest ways in which we can perceive the viewpoint of
documentarians is the way in which they choose and frame their topics. "World War II" may
strike us as a self-evidently "notable" event; nonetheless, we can perceive the difference in
viewpoint between the documentarian who focuses on military strategy ("How we won D-
Day") and the documentarian who focuses on humanitarian tragedy ("Beaches of Blood").
So even the choice of topic tells us something about documentary that we need to engage
critically.
 
Documentary sources also vary widely. Documentaries on recent events or persons will
often incorporate video and audio footage of the event. Documentaries on persons or events
that predate audiovisual recording sometimes rely on reenactments (which should be clearly
labeled as such) or readings of pertinent documents. Almost all documentaries
include interviews with experts. These interview subjects may be experts based on their
personal acquaintance with a person or event (e.g., a soldier present at Omaha Beach on D-
Day) or an academic with scholarly expertise in a subject (a World War II historian).
 
Like most nonfiction books, most documentary films have a strong point of view that we
might even call an argument. Sometimes the argument emerges simply in the choice of a
subject: the filmmaker who creates a film around human trafficking of children is likely
trying to mobilize knowledge and sentiment against such practices. Sometimes
documentary films are explicitly advocacy films: Al Gore's award-winning An Inconvenient
Truth and most Michael Moore documentaries fall into this category. Both are technically
documentaries, as they are based on evidence and not the creator's imagination; but they
explicitly advocate for particular emotional, intellectual, and practical reactions from the
audience. (The advent of multimedia synergy often assists this advocacy: Gore's film and
Moore's are linked to websites that describe potential actions a mobilized viewer can take.)
Therefore, watching a documentary should never be seen as a passive, educational
experience any more than watching a feature film should be. Both have contexts, points of
view, and should be subject to critical reading.