Documentary is a nonfiction film genre that purports to capture reality. Its works often aim to educate, catalog, or advocate, though some also exist for entertainment or aesthetic purposes.
> Explore a list of the 50 best documentary films of all time. (Read)
> John Grierson coined the word "documentary," then became one of its innovators. (Read)
Many of the earliest films of the 19th century were "actuality films": short, one-shot movies that captured slices of life. The early 20th century saw the rise of "scenics," films showing life and landscapes of faraway places. The term "documentary" first appeared in print in 1926, as nonfiction films grew longer and began incorporating narrative and character.
> Watch the first "actuality film," created by France's Lumière Brothers. (Watch)
> A 1922 film was the first hit documentary, but core elements were later revealed to be fabricated. (Read)
Handheld cameras and other technological advancements in the mid-20th century gave documentary filmmakers greater freedom to follow their subjects and experiment with form. The genre has continued evolving through the 21st century, with documentary filmmakers investigating criminal cases, following political candidates, and even interrogating the genre itself.
> Documentary styles that claimed to offer the unadorned truth arrived with handheld cameras. (Watch)
> Errol Morris' "The Thin Blue Line" revolutionized documentary film—and helped free an innocent man. (Read)
> "Shoah," a nine-and-a-half-hour documentary about the Holocaust, was composed entirely of interviews. (Read)
Discover more:
> Barbara Kopple documented a union strike with the 1976 film "Harlan County, USA" and was nearly killed for it. (Watch)
> Filmmaker Werner Herzog told documentary pioneer Errol Morris he would eat his shoe if Morris finished his first film, and did so at its California premiere. (Read)
> One documentary film series followed 14 schoolchildren throughout their lives, with a new installment every seven years. (Read)
