Documentary as Community Practice
This week, as you begin to conceptualize and plan your 3-4 minute documentary projects, we’re taking a look at some of the new forms of documentary practice that aim to privilege community voices. Through Nichols’ text, and Williams’ film “Banished,” we’ve explored the role of the documentarian’s voice. However, there are new developments in documentary that aim to broaden the emphasis on voice to include multiple voices.
For class Tuesday, please take a look at this web-based documentary project: http://www.lunchlovecommunity.org/. One of the project directors, Helen DeMichiel, describes it as an
iterative documentary project to take advantage of emerging digital platforms built for participation and exchange. In a mosaic of twelve short films of varying lengths, Lunch Love Community explored a local, pioneering food-justice movement. Through a range of stories, we took a deep look at how one community transformed its public school food program, and changed the way that children eat.
In addition, please explore this interactive documentary, by Elaine McMillion Scheldon, called Hollow: http://hollowdocumentary.com/
Essay 3
In class Tuesday, we will workshop ideas for your thesis for Essay 3. Please bring both of your papers (or have access to them on you computer) to class. Underline or highlight, in both essays, your thesis statement. We will work with these in class to generate a new thesis (or an expanded or revised thesis) for your final essay. If you already have an idea for that thesis, bring that to class as well.
