Documentary Film
A documentary film, or documentary, is a non-fictional motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record". It presents factual information about the world outside the film and shapes and interprets this material for the purposes of education or entertainment. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics and are often used to reveal unusual, interesting, or unknown angles, bringing viewers into new worlds and experiences through the presentation of factual information about real people, places, and events. The nature of documentary films has expanded in the past 30 years, with various styles and approaches, such as expository, observational, participatory, reflexive, performative, and poetic documentaries.
Documentary films can take creative approaches to serve their topics and objectives, and they may avoid traditional narrative structures. They can be funny, poignant, disturbing, ironic, absurd, inspirational, amusing, shocking, or any combination, and they often weave factual elements into an overall narrative that strives to be as compelling as it is truthful. The genre has significantly contributed to the development of realism in films and has been made in nearly every country, influencing world film production.
In summary, a documentary film is a non-fictional motion picture that presents factual information about the world outside the film, shaping and interpreting this material for the purposes of education or entertainment. It can cover a wide range of topics and take various creative approaches to engage and inform audiences.
