RTVF 375 DOCUMENTARY FILM & TV FILM & TV

Today n American Romantic Tradition n Russian Propagandist Tradition n Continental Realist Tradition

Barnouw’s Categories n Explorer n Reporter n Painter

EXPLORER n Robert Flaherty n Hudson Bay Mining Company n Began shooting in 1910 for Sir William Mackenzie -- builder of Canadian Railways n Lived with Eskimos / used them in crew n No production experience prior n In 1916 started editing his nitrate film stock and.... smoking at the same time Totally destroyed by fire -- Flah. almost killed

New Funding from Revillon Brothers Fur Company n Fundraising efforts n Shot entire film again -- but now a much more experienced filmmaker n Tried to find distributor n Paramount rejected in 1922 – Pathe accepted -- premiere at Captiol Theatre in N.Y. June 1922 n Tremendous success

NanooK of the North Robert Flaherty 1922

Explorer n Paramount anxious to make up for mistake signed Flaherty and German director F.W. Murnau to make a “Nanook” of the South Seas signed Flaherty and German director F.W. Murnau to make a “Nanook” of the South Seas MOANA (1926) MOANA (1926)

Flaherty’s Other Films n MAN OF ARAN (1934) made for British Company n LOUISIANA STORY (1948) Standard Oil -- sponsor -- very much in background

Flaherty’s Importance n First work to be called “DOCUMENTARY” (Grierson) n Working from inside -- lived with subjects n Romantic --- man against nature - - one man against all odds n Shot lots of footage --- structured on editing bench

Attacks on Flaherty n Criticized for being too romantic n Living in the past n Staging, manipulation, danger to subjects

ANOTHER “Explorer” n Merian Cooper CHANG (1927) Paramount --- Siam, a family fighting for survival in jungle CHANG (1927) Paramount --- Siam, a family fighting for survival in jungle GRASS (1925) Paramount --- herdsman migration in Turkey/Persia

REPORTER n Denis Kaufman (aka DZIGA VERTOV) FUTURISM FUTURISM KINO PRAVDA -- newsreels KINO PRAVDA -- newsreels n THE KINO EYE THEORY Film camera = perception = TRUTH Film camera = perception = TRUTH

REPORTER Vertov’s MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA(1929)

Vertov’s Importance n Tremendous influence on later filmmakers in U.S. and France CINEMA VERITE n Self-reflexive n Modernist

Flaherty Seminar n Began in 1955 to honor Flaherty and Documentary Tradition n This past year focused on doc. in Russia and U.S. n Russians most influenced by Flaherty – with their traditions of state control -- Flaherty’s battles of individual against outside forces a model for the new Russian documentary

Flaherty Seminar n Americans most influenced by Vertov FORMAL EXPERIMENTATION & POLITICAL REORGANIZATION FORMAL EXPERIMENTATION & POLITICAL REORGANIZATION American documentary movement actually more “leftist” than Russian American documentary movement actually more “leftist” than Russian

n Primarily European – Film clubs / Cine Clubs n Protest against commercial cinema n Alternative approaches – Artists – Painters – Sculptors – Poets / Writers PAINTER

PAINTER n Walter Ruttman n Berlin, Symphony of a City (1927) – formalistic – symphonic structure – artist’s view of reality ---- reality filtered through a painter’s eyes

Other “Painters” n Joris Ivens The Bridge (1928) and Rain (1929) n Jean Vigo A Propos de Nice (1929) – worked with Boris Kaufman (Vertov’s brother) n Alberto Cavalcanti Only The Hours (1926) (city symphony in Paris)

Modern Example of Approach KOYAANISQATSI (83) Director: Godfrey Reggio Title based on Hopi Indian phrase for “Life out of Balance”

ANOTHER BARAKA(1992)  Ron Fricke (cameraman on Koyaanisquatsi)

RTVF 375 DOCUMENTARY FILM & TV FILM & TV