Elective

CLIT7022 Screen Documentaries

The politics, modes, ethics, and practices of screen documentaries will be introduced in international and interdisciplinary frames. Beginning with readings on non-fictional storytelling, authenticity and authority, ethics and politics of documentary on screen, students will examine the role of the documentarian, the documentary subjects, issues of gender and ethnicity, globalization, and modes of documentary including observational, expository, participatory, poetic, reflective, performative, and hybrid approaches. Lectures, viewings, and discussions will emphasize intellectual and critical understanding of documentary film and video texts, as well as their historical and cultural contexts. Students will do analytical and reflective writing, undertake research and participatory observations, and investigate documentary practices and ethics. Students will complete a still photo-text project for the mid-term and a group digital documentary with their own equipment (5-7 minutes) for the final project. Students will write commentaries and do reflective writing on the group project.