SEMINAR PROFILE

A07 -
Bearing Witness: Documentary Film and the Presumption of Authenticity

John Grierson, one of the key figures in documentary film history, defined documentaries as "the creative treatment of actuality." In the era of reality television and YouTube, questions about how documentary images record, mediate, and manipulate the world are more timely than ever. The technological basis of film creates an impression of authenticity and encourages audiences to trust what they see. This three-day seminar will consider the consequences of that trust and the power of film to represent -- and construct -- the historical record. Through viewing, reading, and discussion, participants will be introduced to the history and theory of documentary film and will confront questions about documentary strategy, selectivity, and subjectivity . We will view feature length and short documentaries including works by Frederick Wiseman, Elizabeth Barret, Alain Resnais, and Errol Morris.

Scholar:

Julie Levinson

Location:

Harvard Hillel

Dates:

4/30/2015, 5/7/2015, 5/15/2015

A07 -	Bearing Witness: Documentary Film and the Presumption of Authenticity

	John Grierson, one of the key figures in documentary film history, defined documentaries as "the creative treatment of actuality." In the era of reality television and YouTube, questions about how documentary images record, mediate, and manipulate the world are more timely than ever. The technological basis of film creates an impression of authenticity and encourages audiences to trust what they see. This three-day seminar will consider the consequences of that trust and the power of film to represent -- and construct -- the historical record. Through viewing, reading, and discussion, participants will be introduced to the history and theory of documentary film and will confront questions about documentary strategy, selectivity, and subjectivity . We will view feature length and short documentaries including works by Frederick Wiseman, Elizabeth Barret, Alain Resnais, and Errol Morris.

		Scholar:	Julie Levinson
		Location:	Harvard Hillel
		Dates:	4/30/2015, 5/7/2015, 5/15/2015