Documentary Films

Documentary films have been around in one form or another for over one hundred years. Documentary films sprang from filmmakers' desires to document reality as it was without fictionalizing it. What are understood to be documentary films has changed over the years. Documentary films have become much more viable at the box office in the past few years, but these documentary films are considered by some to, not be true documentary films as the filmmaker is taking a much more active role in shaping the information presented. Documentary films were once shot only on film stock, but now the term applies to all means of recording images, such as video tape and digital recording.

Except for documentary films that show simply what is occurring at a particular place at a particular time without any embellishments by the filmmaker, all documentary films are part document and part propaganda. The basic act of making a documentary film is a statement that, at least, this information is important and should be shown to the viewer. Many documentary films do not have any problem taking a stand on an issue or topic. Many people would call these documentary films, propaganda, but just as in news coverage, it is impossible to take the human element out of the documentary films so the filmmakers' opinions and points of view invariably end up in the documentary films. This is not an indictment of documentary films.

As long as the viewer understands that total objectivity is impossible, a lot of good can come from viewing documentary films. There are many styles to use when making documentary films. Documentary films can be a series of interviews with any number of people on a particular topic. Documentary films can include re-enactments of major historical events. Documentary films can be made simply by one person taking a camera out and documenting events, places, people and things.

Documentary films have become much easier to produce now that digital technology has made cameras so much lighter and more affordable. almost anyone these days can make their own documentary films and get information out about the things that re important to them. Documentary films no longer require the expense they once did, which even thought it was never at the high level of feature films, it was still an impediment to people making their own documentary films. Documentary films can teach us a lot. Documentary films are important contributions to society.

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