Description
Book SynopsisHow do issues of form and content shape the documentary film? In what ways do documentaries abide by or subvert ethical expectations? Are mockumentaries a form of subversion? The author investigates the ways documentaries strive for accuracy and truthfulness and simultaneously fabricate a form that shapes reality.
Trade Review"There is a fluidity in Nichols’ writing that gently forces us to see the 'blurred boundaries' . . . between all forms of visual expression. In reading these essays, one is often struck by how much is illuminated, not only within the boundaries of documentary film but into the historical, political, social and cultural world that provides the fertile ground where ideas take root." * Documentary *
"Nichols’s marvelous volume of essays . . . spans forty years of his contribution to contemporary film theory. It offers lucid, articulate, and illuminating studies of both general issues in documentary theory and of individual films. Readers familiar with his books will find fascinating essays here, both supplementing his published volumes and adding new perspectives on his work." * European Legacy *
Table of ContentsPREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION PART I. DOCUMENTARY MEETS THE NEIGHBORS: THE AVANT-GARDE AND FICTION FILM PART II. THE AUDIO IN AUDIOVISUAL PART III. BEYOND "JUST THE FACTS": EVIDENCE, INTERPRETATION, AND SOCIAL CONTEXT PART IV. ETHICS AND IRONY IN DOCUMENTARY PART V. POLITICS AND THE DOCUMENTARY FILM NOTES INDEX
