This paper discuses the early years of documentary films. It relates to various film directors that are iconic for this era and the main concepts that they were interested in promoting through their motion pictures. The paper also discuses in regard to viewers and the effects that these films had on how they understood society at the time.
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The early years of documentaries
The documentary genre was initially created with the purpose of providing people with trivial information and it gradually came to discuss more complex topics as society discovered its ability to serve as educational material. Mainly depending on societal trends, people directed their attention at making documentary motion pictures focused on particular concepts. Ranging from wanting to indoctrinate the masses to wanting to present them with the latest fashion, documentary films were bombarding society with information that could be sent through a new and interactive medium. Motion pictures like Workers Leaving the Factory produced a strong effect on viewers and made it possible for people to realize that this particular genre was especially important in having them learn more regarding society.
It all started with short recordings showing various scenes such as "everyday life, circus and vaudeville acts, and skits" (Ellis & McLane). As people started to express lesser interest in films that were not particularly impressive and that were initially appreciated because of the novelty regarding the moving photographic image started to be presented with actualities. They were referred to as actualities for the largest part of the early twentieth century and gradually started to be identified as documentaries as they occupied a larger market position.
Individuals appeared to be most interested in seeing actualities that presented foreign concepts. The Lumiere organization traveled across France to shoot diverse scenes believed to express feelings that were exclusively French. People across the world could see motion pictures showing things like the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysees. Similarly, individuals in France were presented with films displaying Spanish and Russian cultural values. The whole world appeared to enjoy seeing documentaries because of the information that it received through this informational means. Actualities were very rare during the early twentieth century and this influenced viewers in expressing increased interest in seeing them.
As previously specified, the masses were particularly impressed as a result of seeing documentaries showing foreign and exotic concepts. This is reflected by the effect that Robert Flaherty's Nanook of the North had on publics across the world. His film presented scenes that were never before seen by the masses and this made it difficult for individuals to refrain from expressing admiration in regard to the general aspect of the motion picture. "He shot his footage in 1920, when there were no rules for documentaries and precious few documentaries, certainly none shot so far north that nothing grows except a little moss, and 300 Inuit could inhabit a space the size of England" (nanook_1). However, in spite of the fact that the film was promoted as a motion picture displaying real-life events, it appears that the director did not hesitate to modify a series of aspects about the environment that he shot in and the story itself. The protagonist's wife and children were not actually his and Flaherty correctly believed that audiences would be more deeply impressed if he presented the story from a more spectacular point-of-view. Even with this, one can still claim that the film is a documentary because it presents viewers with its own creation.
Many individuals took advantage of the fact that documentary films were very influential and devised propaganda strategies using motion pictures. Many individuals involved in this affair considered that fiction films no longer had a strong appeal and that society was more concerned about seeing 'cinema verite'. Many filmmakers got actively engaged in creating films discussing political topics with the purpose of influencing the masses in adopting particular attitudes in regard to the respective political concepts. In their determination to create films displaying reality, most of them failed to actually do so because of the fabricated scenes they introduced in their movies. Even with this, the general public gradually started to understand that the documentary film was a creation that is serious and that attempts to teach viewers something. The curious thing about this is that many documentary filmmakers believe themselves to be storytellers instead of journalists (Aufderheide 1).
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