International Documentary Association (IDA)
Bridging the Credibility Gap - Drawing the Line on Manipulation in Documentary
Lisa LeemanTransparency, Accountability
Article, Opinion
Free or Low Barrier To Access
International Documentary Association (IDA)
Transparency, Accountability
Article, Opinion
In this piece, Lisa Leeman explores the truthfulness of documentary filmmaking.
The topic came to her after reading a Facebook post by Rick Prelinger where he says, "I find it amazing that documentary filmmakers are accorded such great authority by audiences, reviewers and scholars when they are not obliged to cite their sources (especially egregious when archival materials are used.)"
Lisa references Pat Aufderheide's 2009 study "Honest Truths" about the ethical dilemmas within documentary filmmaking (as well as people's reaction to the study), Penny Lane's film NUTS!, and Tom Reston's blog Doc Soup.