HISTORY OF DOCUMENTARY

 

 

LENI RIEFENSTAHL (1902-2003)

 still active at time of her death

 

·          An athletс, dancer, actor, filmmaker, photographer (intellect and physical body)

·          After war, denied being a Nazi sympathizer through  evidence exists to contrary

·          Branded a low-level collaborationist with Nazis by post-war Germany government, which hampered her ability to make films

·          Focused on photography, nature documentaries

 

 

 

CINEMA VERITE

 

·          Documentary genre that begin at approximately same time as direct cinema (late 1950s/early 1960s)

·          Terms «direct cinema» and «cinema  verite» frequently used interchangeably, though they should not be

·          Cinema verite reflect objectivity, assumes camera will influence events, incorporates that into film

·          Cinema verite means «cinema truth» (about situation, what happened), try story

·          Most famous filmmaker is Jean Rouch from France

·          Rouch was trained anthropologist, believed cinema an important tool in that field

·          Encouraged participation by subjectes (what is in the film, what is the form of culture)

·          Camera is not «invisible», but a tool for investigating, revealing truth

·          Important Rouch films: I, a Black Man (1958), Chronicle of a Summer (1961)

 

 

 

GIMME SHELTER(Maysles Brothers)

 

·          A cinema verite/direct cinema hybrid

·          Directed by Maysles Brothers (Albert, David), starring Rolling Stones

·          Invented to be direct cinema record of Stones’ Alfamont concert (Jefferson Airplane). Peace and

       Love outside in San Francisco

·          Concert became a disaster (Motorcycle game)

·          Maysles show Stones footage to get their truth of what happened

 

 

Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed

 

·          Examine how African Americans had been portrayed (or not portrayed) in literature, film,

        television, history

·          Final segment also presents the impact this has had on African Americans

·          Created in response to urban unrest of mid to late 1960s, Watts, Detroit, Newark Second class

       citizen)

·          Portrait in African American, what never portraited before

·          Hosted by Bill Cosby, set in classroom

 

 

PBS – PUBLIC  STATION TV

 

·          American public broadcasting system, created by act of Congress in 1967 (education

       programming, public news)

·          Not a network, does not fund  majorities of its programs

·          Documentaries aired on series like P.O.V., American Experience

·          Gained controversy for documentaries or controversial subjects matter, such as Tongues Untied

        (1989)

·          Also gained praise for Ken Burns documentaries (cinematic history)

 

 

KEN BURNS

 

·          Interested in American history, particularly events or concepts dealing with race (U.S.)

·          Has examined a variety of topics, including  the Brooklyn Bridge, Jazz, and Thomas Jefferson

·          Use of photographs, archival footage, actors portraying, deceased historical figures (usually

        narrations)

·          «Ken Burns Effect» (taking a photograph about person)

 

Brief overview of Vietnam War

Краткий обзор Вьетнамской Войны – фактическое начало холодной войны

 

 

·          Countercultural movement in U.S. and Europe opposed to war

·          Vietnam sending troops, supplies to assist Vietcong Via Ho Chi Trail through officially neutral

        countries of laos, Combodia

·          Early 1968. The Offensive destroyed Vietcong but was seen as defeat for U.S.: Walter Cr. says

       war  unwinnable, Clark Clifford opposes war

·          Late 1968 Nixon elected president on «Vietnamization» plan for war

·          1971 Daniel Elsberg smuggled Pentagon Papers to N.Y. Times, which publishes them (Suprime

        Court decidion about this). National security about.

·          1972 - Christmas Bombing of North Vietnam (Hanoy)

·          1973 - Signing of Paris Peace Treaty: removal of U.S. troops

·          1975 - Northvietnamise troops overrun South Vietnamize capitol, unifying Vietnam under

        Communist rule

 

 

MICHAEL MOORE

 

·          Learned documentary filmmaking  from documentarian Kevin Rafferty (1^st cousin to current

       President Bush)

·          Films focus on problems within capitalism, American political system

·          Influenced by cinema verite

·          Moor himself in a prominent part on his films as a kind of everyman  sticking up of average

        person, leftist common sense

·          Critics accuse him of selective editing, deliberate misrepresentation, megalomania

 

 

The Fog of War

Дымка войны – потаясающий фильм

 

·          Interviews Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense during Kennedy, Johnson administration (1960-68) – 20 hours of interview

·          Instrumental in increasing, maintaining US involved in Vietnam

·          Disavolved his action in 1995 book, In Retrospect, through apparently more because of cost of  war  than moral reasons

·          Fog of war uses archival footage, recording to provide context to interview with McNomara as he explains  lessons he believes he learned from Vietnam 1960s.

 

11 Lessons of Fog of the War

 

·          Enpthize with your enemy

·          Rationality will not save us

·          There’s something beyond one’s self

·          Maximize efficiency

·          Proportionality should be a guideline in war

·          Get the date

·          Belief and seeing are both often wrong

·          Be prepared to re-examine your reasoning

·          To go good, you may have to engage in evil

·          Never say never

·          You can’t change human nature

 

 

Political documentary of the end of the 20^th century

 

·          Technological innovations allow for new do-it-yourself documentaries

·          Proliferation of inexpensive digital camcorders

·          Internet distributing

·          Many are political in nature

·          Include everything from Bush’s Brain (2004) to Fairen' HYPE 9/11 (2004) to recent Loose

      Change documentaries

 

 

Journey with George

 

·          Made by Alexaqndra Pelosi (daughter of current House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi)

·          Alexandra was producer for NBC, assigned to follow Bush’s presidential compaing in

      2000

·          Took along personal camcorder as a kind of diary

·          Resulting footage  become documentary examining importance of personality in

      American politics, both of candidates and journalists (Political life and american life in

      American system)

·          Aired on HBO in 2002

 

 

Uncovered

 

·          Made by veteran Hollywood producer/director Robert Greenwald

·          After 2000 presidental election controversy, made Unprecedented (2002)

·          Use interviews with experts, some archival footage, cheap graphics

·          Distributed via Greenwald’s internet site, as well as bookstores and movie threaters