Instructor: Gregory Paschalidis
Course Description
In the past few decades documentary film has become the medium of choice for the public communication of every major issue that challenges global society: war and conflict, environmental deterioration and climate change, health and technology risks, immigration and fundamentalism, fiscal crisis and human rights, etc. Enjoying widespread distribution through a variety of both traditional and web-based outlets, and commanding powerful appeal across national and cross-national constituencies, documentary has made a major contribution to the emergence of the global public sphere and civil society. The course charts this development by combining consideration of technological and cultural changes with an investigation of the diverse narrative and rhetorical strategies employed by contemporary documentary filmmakers in their effort to define the emergency agenda of world public opinion.
Course Objectives
- Understand the core concepts and theories of documentary film genre
- Understand the conventions, rhetorical devices and narrative design of documentary
- Awarness of the manifold interactions between technology, civil society and documentary film-making/reception
- Appreciation of the forms and functions of crisis/emergency related documentary in the contemporary global public sphere
Learning Outcomes
- Define core concepts and theories of documentary film genre
- Explain documentary’s contribution to the emergence/functioning of global public sphere
- Identify narrative and rhetorical strategies of contemporary crisis/emergency related documentary
- Critically analyze contemporary crisis/emergency related documentaries
Class/Learning activities
Lectures, in-class presentations, independent study, written assignments.
Workload
| Type of work | Description | Hours |
| Lectures | Thirteen 3-hours lectures | 39 |
| Independent study | Study of class materials and readings | 50-60 |
| Readings presentation | Presenting & leading a discussion on a given topic | 25-30 |
| In-class presentation | Conference type presentation of final paper | 15-20 |
| Final paper | Critical analysis of a crisis/emergency related documentary (5.000 words) | 110-120 |
| Total workload | 239-269 |
Assessment
| Type of assessment | Learning outcome | Impact on final grade | Date of assessment |
| Participation in group discussion | 1-3 | 10% | On a regular basis |
| Reading presentation | 1-2 | 20% | On a regular basis |
| Presentation | 1-4 | 10% | 13th week |
| Written assignment (final paper) | 2-4 | 60% | 14th week |
Required Reading
Baker, M. (2006). Documentary in the Digital Age. Oxford: Focal Press
Chanan, M. (2007). The Politics of Documentary. London: BFI
Chapman, J. (2009). Issues in Contemporary Documentary. Oxford: Polity
Plantinga, C. (1997). Rhetoric and Representation in Nonfiction Film. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Zimmermann, P. (2000). States of Emergency. Documentaries, Wars, Democracies. Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press
Suggested Reading
Bruzi, S. (2000). New Documentary. A critical introduction. London & New York: Routledge
Burnow, E. (1993). Documentary. A history of non-fiction film. Oxford University Press
Corner, J. (1996).The art of record. A critical introduction to documentary. Manchester Univ. Press
Ellis, J. (2005). A new history of documentary film. Continuum
Grant, B. K. & J. Sloniowski (eds.) (1998). Documenting the Documentary. Wayne State Univ Press
Holmlund, C. & C. Fuchs (1997). Between the sheets, in the streets: queer, lesbian, and gay documentary. University of Minnesota Press
Macdonald, K. & M. Cousins. Imagining Reality: The Faber Book of Documentary. Faber, 1996
Mamber, St. (1974) Cinema verite in America: studies in uncontrolled documentary. MIT
Nichols, B. (1991) Representing Reality. Issues and Concepts in Documentary. Indiana Univ. Press
Nichols, B. (2001). Introduction to Documentary. Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press
Renov, Michael (ed.) Theorising Documentary. Routledge, 1995
Winston, Brian. Lies, Damn Lies and Documentary. BFI, 2000
NOTE: All of the above books can be found in the Aristotle University Library, and most of them are available in the collection of the School of Journalism & Mass Communications. There are many more documentary related resourses available in the Library and on the Web, and you are strongly advised to look for additional bibliographical aid, particularly in the category of journal articles (HEAL-link).
Resourses on the Internet
http://www.documentaryfilms.net/
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