Tough Subjects: Documentary Film and Discord

Documentary filmmakers forge complex relationships with the real people who appear in their films. Even in the most empathic works, that process can be fraught. So, what happens when filmmakers portray people with whom they have an adversarial relationship? Through analysis, conversations with directors, and their own original creative work, students will learn the artistic, practical and ethical approaches that filmmakers take with tough subjects. We will look at both historical and new forms of non-fiction cinema and explore parallels to other artistic and academic disciplines.