Who First Coined The Term Documentary?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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John Grierson

, who, coined the word “documentary” to apply to movies of the type and influenced the development of films as a medium of public service, died . yesterday in Bath. He was 73 years Old. In 1926 Mr.

Who invented the documentary?

Pioneering

Scottish filmmaker John Grierson

(1898-1972) is often considered the father of documentary film and credited with coining the very term “documentary” in his review of Robert Flaherty’s film Moana in the February 8, 1926, issue of the New York Sun.

Who is known as the father of the documentary?

Robert Flaherty,

in full Robert Joseph Flaherty

, (born February 16, 1884, Iron Mountain, Michigan, U.S.—died July 23, 1951, Dummerston, Vermont), American explorer and filmmaker, called the father of the documentary film.

What is nanooks real name?

Nanook’s real name was

Allakariallak

. Keen to play along with Flaherty’s wish to represent the Inuit as living a simpler way of life, ‘Nanook” was filmed hunting with a spear, despite the fact that in reality the tribe had long before abandoned spears in favour of guns.

How did Grierson define documentary?

Grierson defined documentary as ‘

the creative treatment of actuality

‘. … An examination of the relationship between art, creativity and documentary production and consumption will rationalize and reconceptualize creativity for documentary practice.

What were documentaries first called?

Documentary History Highlights

The very first films (pre-1900’s) were called “actuality films” because they captured short snippets of real “actual” events, such as a boat pulling up to the dock or workers leaving a factory. So in essence, the first movies ever made were documentaries, also called

newsreels

.

What was the first documentary?

The first official documentary or non-fiction narrative film was

Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of the North (1922)

, an ethnographic look at the harsh life of Canadian Inuit Eskimos living in the Arctic, although some of the film’s scenes of obsolete customs were staged.

What are the 6 types of documentaries?

In 1991, American film critic and theoretician Bill Nichols proposed that there were six different modes of documentary—

poetic, expository, reflexive, observational, performative, and participatory

—each containing its own specific characteristics.

What are the 5 elements of a documentary?

  • Subjects. The subject is what your documentary is about. …
  • Purpose. The purpose is what the filmmaker is trying to say about the subjects of their film. …
  • Form. The form is the formative process of the film. …
  • Production method and technique. …
  • Audience experience.

What do you call a person in a documentary?

Perhaps “the subject of the documentary.” Other people might be called

participants

.

What breed of dog is Nanook?

Nanook is a

Alaskan Malamute

that belongs to Sam Emerson.

What is Nanook mean?

In Inuit religion, Nanook (/ˈnænuːk/; Inuktitut: ᓇᓄᖅ [naˈnuq], lit. “

polar bear

“) was the master of bears, meaning he decided if hunters deserved success in finding and hunting bears and punished violations of taboos. The word was popularized by Nanook of the North, the first feature-length documentary.

How many wives did Nanook?

Nanook’s

two wives

, Nyla and Cunayo, were played by Alice Nevalinga and an unknown Inuk woman.

How is a documentary a creative interpretation of the real world?

Ekwuazi explains the term documentary as a creative treatment of actuality by characterising it into the following patterns: … In Purpose: The documentary is

intended to alert the viewer to some aspect of reality that should be its legitimate concern or serious interest and to illuminate a social problem

.

What makes for a good documentary?

A good doc, in my opinion, must have the following:

a subject anchored in a local story that is universal

; a story arc comprising a seductive opening, a taut rising action, an unexpected but mind altering climax, a hopeful but not maudlin denouement; unforgettable characters who reveal everything and are “real”; a …

What makes a documentary authentic?

A documentary film

purports to present factual information about the world outside the film

. A nonfiction film about real events and people, often avoiding traditional narrative structures. Documentary [is] the creative treatment of actuality. … Documentary defines not subject or style, but approach. …

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.