Introduction to Documentary Post

In the article "Introduction to Documentary," the French film Chronicle of a Summer is mentioned numerous times. The documentary focuses on the personal accounts of various Parisians during one summer. I agree with the article that this film is a great example of the observational mode. The film contains numerous scenes where the camera simply observes conversations had by the Parisian individuals or actions conducted by the Parisian individuals. Here is an excerpt from the film that perfectly exemplifies the observational aspect of the film. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpxVtFQgS4o Yet, Chloe brings up a relevant point as well. It seems difficult to neatly isolate documentaries into a single mode. The article even places Chronicle of a Summer in both the observational and participatory sections. In relation to Chronicle of a Summer, a voice over is used to tell one of the Parisian's story as she walks around the city. Another instance where Chronicle of a Summer breaks observational documentary convention is towards the end of the film. In one of the final sequences, all of the featured Parisians are gathered in a theater as the two directors screen their footage. In this sequence, the two directors are shown asking the Parisians questions. It is my understanding that interviews or question-based conversations are not a part of the observational mode, yet this aspect of the film seems to necessary for the directors to be able to successfully convey their message. Chronicle of a Summer can be seen in its entirety on Hulu. I highly recommend watching it. The documentary is a great look into the ever day lives of typical Parisians in the 1960s and what they think of social issues of the time. Another documentary that I recommend watching is Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. The reason I suggest watching Bowling for Columbine is because of the intense contrast it creates in comparison to Chronicle of a Summer. Moore's film is much more direct and aggressive in the telling of its message, which greatly contrasts the more relaxed, quiet nature of the French film, yet both can be classified as participatory documentaries. Moore's film also defines any rigid classifications of documentaries because he strongly employs "the voice-of-[G-d]" aspect of the expository mode. Here is a link to the entire film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XORCYavjhk0.