Documentary film

A documentary film is a nonfiction motion picture. Its main goal is to document reality. People use these films for instruction, education, or to maintain historical records. Media analyst Bill Nichols describes documentary as a filmmaking practice and a cinematic tradition. It is also a way for audiences to receive information. This practice often lacks clear boundaries between different styles.

Documentary filmmaking is a complex and creative process. Filmmakers must use media devices and specific production strategies. They face many creative, ethical, and conceptual choices during production. These filmmakers often use their work for journalism or personal expression. Some use it for advocacy to support specific causes. A documentary often provides a specific message alongside the facts. This distinguishes it from other types of nonfiction films.

There are several distinct types of documentary films. Some are explicitly educational and serve as school resources. Others are observational works that watch life unfold. Docufiction movies include elements of dramatic storytelling that are fictional. Some films are known as "scenics" or travelogues. These were popular in the early 20th century. Early color processes like Kinemacolor used travelogues to show off new technology.

Documentaries evolved from the practice of documentary photography. Photographers used single images to detail complex historical events. For example, Mathew Brady captured photos during the American Civil War. Early films were called "actuality films." Most of these were very short, often lasting one minute or less. They lacked a narrative structure and were mostly simple recordings. One notable early film, The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight, lasted over ninety minutes.

Many important figures shaped the history of the genre. Bolesław Matuszewski was a Polish writer who identified the documentary mode. In 1898, he published works about the historical value of film. He also proposed creating a Film Archive to protect visual materials.

The term "documentary" was coined by John Grierson in 1926. He used the word in a review of the film Moana. Grierson believed in the "creative treatment of actuality." This idea means using real life as a guide for art.

In the 1920s, the genre embraced a style called romanticism. Filmmaker Robert Flaherty was a leader in this movement. His 1922 film, Nanook of the North, is a famous example.

Flaherty sometimes staged scenes to look more traditional. He had his subjects use harpoons instead of shotguns. This was done to show how people might have lived long ago. Another style from this era was the "city symphony." These were avant-garde films influenced by modern art like Cubism.

Modern technology has changed how we access these films. Social media platforms like YouTube and Dailymotion are very important. These sites allow documentaries to reach many audiences at once. This ease of access helps films spread across the world. It can even help filmmakers work past socio-political hurdles like censorship. Documentaries provide new perspectives that are not always in textbooks. They allow filmmakers to share their views on significant people and places.