Documentary

Now brought completely up-to-date, the new edition of this classic work on documentary films and film-making surveys the history of the genre from 1895 to the present day. With the myriad social upheavals over the past decade, documentaries have enjoyed an international renaissance; here Barnouw considers the medium in the light of an entirely new political and social climate. He examines as well the latest filmmaking technology, and the effects that video cassettes and cable television are having on the production of documentaries. And like the previous editions, Documentary is filled with photographs, many of them rare, collected during the author's travels around the world. Covering the full course of the documentary from Louis Lumiere's first effort to recent landmark productions such as Shoah, this book makes the growing importance of a unique blend of art and reality accessible and understandable to all film lovers. 'A helpful antidote to the spirit...Barnouw's style has clarity and precision that make his books delights to read.'-Film Quarterly Contents: Glimpse of Wonders: Prophet Images at Work: Explorer Reporter Painter Sound and Fury: Advocate Bugler Prosecuter Clouded Lens: Poet Chronicler Promoter Sharp Focus: Observer Catalyst Guerrilla Movement Acknowledgements Source Notes Bibliography Index