Social Change Through the Documentary Lens

Catalog description

This course is intended for students who are interested in studying and making documentary films about social change. A documentary will be screened in every class and discussion will focus on the fundamentals of filmmaking (story, structure, editing, cinematography, music, interviewing) and the importance of access and luck. While not a production course, its primary purpose is to make students more conscious of motives and methods in documentaries intended to bring about social change through the consideration of questions such as: How do documentary filmmakers construct their films in hopes of effecting social change? What kinds of stories are best told through the visual medium of film? How do documentary filmmakers deal with real people and real situations and grapple with the ethics of using the lives of others to tell their stories? A number of professional filmmakers will visit class to share their work and to talk about process, decision-making, as well as how the film industry works. In addition, students will discuss a selection of important, effective documentary films along with related readings by authors such as Freire, Coates, Kidder, Sontag and Baldwin.