Documentary

Documentaries are an important way in determining the way we construct history and memory. The word document is originated from the Latin word docere, which means to teach. It is also used to describe a piece of paper that demonstrates evidence. Today, films, photographs, and even recordings are correspondingly considered as documents. In Robert Coles book Doing documentary work, Chapter one “The Work: Locations in Theory” he claims that when doing a documentary, the researcher must express his or her perspective in the story they choose to tell.

A close reading of what they ultimately wrote about their experiences, helps clarify our thinking about the various ways observers can respond to what they have seen and heard and come to believe”(24-25). Robert Cole’s first insight on how the views differ from reality and documentary work was when he wrote about the migrant farm children as a journal read by the physicians and psychiatrists. Writing this journal he came across a problem. Cole said that he tried to describe the various states of mind he observed in the children he met.

At one point, however I inadvertently got myself and my editors into some trouble by using the word poignant denial of their very condition as young farm workers” (28). Even though the editor understood what Cole was implying he doubted to eliminate the word because it would “stand out. ” But whether or not one uses descriptive, subjective words such as poignant, “who we are, determines what we notice and what we regard as worthy of noticing, what we find significant,” Coles says. Throughout Cole’s first chapter he brings upon different forms of documentaries like audio journals and photo essays.

Audio journal is a form of documentary communication that uses technology to provide journalistic information to those who are unable to access a printed page or for those who are print disabled. They provide local and national news information and important events. An advantage of having an audio journal is one can have a better understanding of what is going on or being said. Robert Cole classifies tape recorded material as audio journal and explains how helpful these recordings are to better understand of what he is hearing and seeing in connection to his work as a “participant observer”, work mainly done with SNCC.

Cole also felt that he could learn more by being able to listen a second time (36). Another form of a documentary is a photo essay; they rely on simple truth. A photo essay contains a series of photographs that tells a story and attracts the viewer as to just using words. “A photo essay engages the viewer at a very personal level. While people can respond to written stories intellectually, photography essays often create an instant emotion within the viewer” (photography essay). Robert Cole also provides an example of photo essay. Dorothea Lange, was a portrait photographer of the well-to-do in San Francisco.

Photos she took were in the early 1930s during the world of the Great Depression (42). Web exhibits also fall into the category of documentaries. They are like physical museums but to our great advantage it is available at our fingertips. “A true online exhibit not only promotes discovery and exploration, but it also provides quality information built on a breadth and depth of knowledge, employs a variety of tools that support multiple learning styles, and supports structured educational efforts”(What’s an Exhibit). A benefit to having a web exhibit is that there is no limited space; it can contain much more content than a physical museum.

Another advantage is that unlike physical museums, a web exhibit is always available; there is not a set time of visiting hours. All of these examples of documentary work are convenient and a great way to retrieve information. They have also processed information through our generations which created our history. From the very beginnings of life, mankind has found ways to leave a print of its history and life. We can find these early accounts of early life in cave pictures. Without this documentary work we could not been able to understand our past or even look forward to our future.