Representation in Documentary

‘Documentary is the creative treatment of actuality’. It’s what we have been saying all semester long when remembering how to define such a complex and broad film genre. A documentary can be about anything or anyone, so long as it, to some extent, endeavors to represent an aspect of reality or lived experience. Film in general is a powerful tool that can give voice to the voiceless, and showcase on a personal level the creativity in the unique lives that people lead. It stands to reason then, that documentaries by nature should seek to amplify the voices of every type of people. Humans are incredibly diverse, such is our lived reality. Therefore, documentaries should also follow the same pattern in order to adequately represent us.

There’s also something to be said about the importance on a societal level of being exposed to a diverse array of voices. Intrinsically, human beings are social creatures. We learn by interacting with and getting to know other people. Though in some instances actively living through an event ourselves will leave a greater lasting impact, most of the time we can understand quite a bit about the human experience simply by listening to others as they share their stories. By actively engaging with the people around us, we are learning every step of the way about the complexities of life. Even if there are some circumstances that we may never have to encounter in our own lives, especially those found on a broader societal level like racism and sexism, the more we engage with voices who have experiences different to ours, the easier we develop the ability to empathize and sympathize with those around us. This is why documentaries that reflect and amplify such voices are so intrinsically valuable. They have the ability to broaden our exposure and let people tell their stories so we can better understand them.

Over the last couple class periods, it's easy to see that has been the focus. Watching the different frameworks play out on screen after reading about them has been very eye-opening. Specifically the performative and participatory modes. Both are uniquely different in their approaches to displaying their personal subject matter as a byproduct of being different frameworks. They each emphasize a slightly different film relationship on screen, with participatory showcasing the filmmakers own involvement with a featured subject and the film in general, and performative taking that relationship between the creator and the subject and applying broader commentary to said connection (Masterclass, 1 & 2). 

The films used to demonstrate these two modes were History and Memory: for Akiko and Takashige (performative), and Minding the Gap (participatory). Both films had similar subject matter, in that they spoke to the lived experience of people of color living in the United States during different time periods. Yet it was due to their presentation and the filmmakers intentions that they differed greatly. History and Memory utilized majority found footage and was put together in a way that emphasized the tone and grander societal implications of the subject matter. Minding the Gap was much more simplistic, with the director filming his friend group (including himself) over the course of a few years and compiled by throughlines that were similar recurring experiences in the men's lives.

History and Memory [women make movies]

Minding the Gap [new york times]}

Such differences reflect each of the aforementioned frameworks’ ability to give voice to different communities. The performative mode can create a greater social commentary by correlating broad topics to a very personal relationship. It can be read as more approachable to a greater audience because it first brings awareness to societal concepts then provides clear cut examples of those concepts in play. In contrast, the participatory mode is beneficial because it allows the filmmaker themself to share their own story. It also makes the audience aware of the impact that the subject(s) featured have had on the film's creator, just by looking at their interactions throughout. That is why documentaries are important. And, that is especially why documentaries should always endeavor to feature a wide variety of voices, because we can learn from them. 

Bibliography:

“Film 101: Understanding Performative Documentary Mode - 2025 - MasterClass.” MasterClass, 2020, www.masterclass.com/articles/understanding-performative-documentary-mode. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.

“Guide to Participatory Mode: 3 Participatory Documentaries - 2025 - MasterClass.” MasterClass, 2020, www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-participatory-documentaries. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

Nichols, Bill, and JaimieBaron. Introduction to Documentary, Fourth Edition. https://platform.virdocs.com/read/2759169/173/#/4/4.