ADDS DONNA

Gallery Study Information


LIFE AS IT REALLY IS by Diego Leclery



What is the purpose of the documentary?  What is the function of the documentary? The goal of this study group is to define the documentary from the ground up.  


Conventional definitions of storytelling, reportage, and non-fiction need to be either justified or discarded.  

Towards this end, we will take a historical look at the documentary, from its roots in film history, its emergence as a vanguard way of representing "life as it is", its emergence as the primary tool of propaganda,  the influence of photojournalism on style and content, changes brought about by the introduction of direct-sound recording, and more.  We will also consider the state of the documentary in the age where the reality TV show is the predominant form of televisual entertainment.  


One film will be screened per meeting, with films to take home for further study on a given subject.