Reference no: EM133301423
Question 1: In the textbook, Bill Nichols notes that documentaries can be plotted on a continuum between documentaries that address social issues and documentaries that address personal portraitures of individuals. Briefly describe each end of this continuum.
Question 2: Select a film we have watched in class from weeks 1-5 that you think falls closer to the social issues side of the continuum. What are the political motivations of this film? What social issue does it explore or promote, and what action or change does it want the viewers to take in relationship to this social issue? Discuss a specific sequence in the film that helps support your argument.
Question 3: Select a film we have watched in class from weeks 1-5 that you think falls closer to the personal portrait side of the continuum. What are the political motivations of this film? What identities does it present, and how does it present these identities? How does the film suggest these identities are related to the social whole of the nation or group? What changes or actions does the film suggest should take place in relation to these identities? Discuss a specific sequence in the film that helps support your argument.
Question 4: Consider this week's required film, This Blue Line. Where would you place it on the spectrum between a social issues film and personal portraiture? What are the political motivations of this film? What social or political action does the film suggest, either explicitly or implicitly? What groups or identities does the film address? How does the film represent these identities or groups in relation to the social or national whole?
Question 5: In your opinion, are all documentaries political? Why or why not? If you were to make a documentary film about an important event in recent history or about a particular identity group, which event or group would you choose and why? Considering the motivation for the choice you have made, what political position would you take in this film, if any?