About the Book
Documentary films constitute a major part of film history. Cinema's origins lie, arguably, more in non-fiction than fiction, and documentary represents the other - often submerged and barely visible - 'half' of cinema history. Historically, documentary cinema has always been an important point of reference for fiction cinema, and the two have often overlapped. Over the last two decades, documentary cinema has enjoyed a revival in critical and commercial success.
100 Documentary Films is the first book to offer concise and authoritative individual critical commentaries on some of the key documentary films - from the Lumière brothers and the beginnings of cinema through to recent films such as Bowling for Columbine and When the Levees Broke - and is global in perspective. Many different types of documentary are discussed, as well as films by major documentary directors, including Robert Flaherty, Humphrey Jennings, Jean Rouch, Dziga Vertov, Errol Morris, Nick Broomfield and Michael Moore. Each entry provides concise critical analysis, while frequent cross reference to other films featured helps to place films in their historical and aesthetic contexts.
Barry Keith Grant is Professor of Film Studies and Popular Culture at Brock University, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology (2007), Voyages of Discovery: The Cinema of Frederick Wiseman (1992) and co-author, with Steve Blandford and Jim Hillier, of The Film Studies Dictionary (2001).
Jim Hillier is Visiting Lecturer in Film at the University of Reading. He is the author of The New Hollywood (1993), the co-author of The Film Studies Dictionary (2001) and, with Alan Lovell, of Studies in Documentary (1972). His edited books include American Independent Cinema (2001) and two volumes of the English translation of the selected Cahiers du cinema (1985, 1986).
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments.- Introduction.- A Propos de Nice, Jean Vigo, France 1930.- The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes, Stan Brakhage, US 1971.- The Atomic Café, Jane Loader.- Kevin Rafferty, US 1982.- The Battle of Chile.- La Batalla de Chile, Patricio Guzman, Venezuela-France-Cuba 1975-1979).- Berlin: Symphony of a Great City.- Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt, Walter Ruttmann, Germany 1927.- Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore, US 2002.- A British Picture: Portrait of an Enfant Terrible (Ken Russell, UK 1989).- British Sounds, Jean-Luc Godard.- Jean-Henri Roger, UK 1969.- Bus 174, José Padilha, Brazil 2002.- Cane Toads: An Unnatural History, Mark Lewis, Australia 1988.- Le Chagrin et la pitié.- The Sorrow and the Pity, Marcel Ophüls, Fr-Switz-W Ger, 1968.- Chronique d'un été.- Chronicle of a Summer, Jean Rouch.- Edgar Morin, France 1961.- Close Up, Abbas Kiarostami, Iran, 1990.- Coal Face, Alberto Cavalcanti, UK 1935.- Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment, Robert Drew, US 1963.- Daughter Rite, Michelle Citron, US 1979.- David Holzman's Diary, Jim McBride, US 1967.- Dead Birds, Robert Gardner, US 1965.- A Diary for Timothy, Humphrey Jennings, UK 1945.- Dont Look Back, D.A. Pennebaker, US 1967.- The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On, Hara Kazuo, Japan 1987.- Être et avoir, Nicolas Philibert, France 2002.- The Fall of the Romanov Dynasty, Esfir Shub, USSR 1927.- Farrebique, ou les quatres saisons, Georges Rouquier, France 1946.- Fast, Cheap and Out of Control, Errol Morris, US 1997.- For Freedom, Hossein Torabi, Iran 1979.- Forgotten Silver, Peter Jackson, NZ 1995.- Les Glâneurs et la glâneuse.- The Gleaners and I, Agnès Varda, France 2000.- Grey Gardens, Albert& David Maysles.- Ellen Hovde.- Muffie Meyer, US 1975.- Grizzly Man, Werner Herzog, US 2005.- Handsworth Songs, John Akomfrah, 1986.- Happy Mother's Day, Richard Leacock.- Joyce Chopra, US 1963.- Harlan County USA, Barbara Kopple, US 1976.- Harvest of Shame, David Lowe, US 1960.- Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam, Nick Broomfield, UK 1995.- Hoop Dreams, Steve James, US 1994.- Hour of the Furnaces.- La Hora de los hornos, Octavio Getino.- Fernando E. Solanas, Argentina 1968.- Housing Problems, Edgar Anstey.- Arthur Elton, UK 1935.- Las Hurdes.- Land Without Bread, Luis Buñuel, Spain 1933.- I for India, Sandhya Suri, UK-Germany 2005.- In the Year of the Pig, Emile De Antonio, US 1968.- Jazz, Ken Burns, US 2001.- Kon Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl, Norway 1950.- Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance, Godfrey Reggio, US 1982.- Lessons in Darkness.- Lektionen in Finisternis, Werner Herzog, Ger-France-UK 1992.- Let There Be Light, John Huston, US 1946.- The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter, Connie Field, US 1980.- Lonely Boy, Wolf Koenig.- Roman Kroiter, Canada 1962.- Lost Lost Lost, Jonas Mekas, US 1976.- Lumière programme, Auguste& Louis Lumière, France 1895.- Les Maitres Fous.- The Mad Masters, Jean Rouch, France 1955.- Manhatta, Charles Sheeler.- Paul Strand, US 1921.- The Man with a Movie Camera, Dziga Vertov, USSR 1929.- Man of Aran, Robert Flaherty, UK 1934.- March of the Penguins.- La Marche de l'empereur, Luc Jacquet, France 2005.- A Married Couple, Allan King, Canada 1969.- Minamata, Tsuchimoto Noriaki, Japan 1971.- My Winnipeg, Guy Maddin, Canada 2007.- Nanook of the North, Robert Flaherty, US 1922.- Native Land, Leo Hurwitz.- Paul Strand, US 1942.- Necrology, Standish Lawder, US 1971.- New Earth.- Nieuwe gronden, Joris Ivens, Netherlands 1934.- News from Home, Chantal Akerman, France-Belgium-West Germany 1976.- North Sea, Harry Watt, UK 1938.- Nuit et brouillard.- Night and Fog, Alain Resnais, France 1955.- Not a Love Story: A Film about Pornography, Bonnie Sherr Klein, Canada 1981.- One Man's War.- La Guerre d'un seul homme, Edgardo Cozarinsky, France, 1982.- Paris is Burning, Jennie Livingston, US 1990.- People on Sunday.- Menschen am Sonntag, Robe.
About the Author :
BARRY KEITH GRANT is Professor of Film Studies and Popular Culture at Brock University, Ontario, Canada. He is the author of Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology (2007), Voyages of Discovery: The Cinema of Frederick Wiseman (1992) and co-author, with Steve Blandford and Jim Hillier, of The Film Studies Dictionary (2001).
JIM HILLIER is Visiting Lecturer in Film at the University of Reading. He is the author of The New Hollywood (1993), the co-author of The Film Studies Dictionary (2001) and, with Alan Lovell, of Studies in Documentary (1972). His edited books include American Independent Cinema (2001) and two volumes of selected criticism from Cahiers du cinema (1985, 1986).
Review :
The first book to offer concise and authoritative individual critical commentaries on some of the key documentary films.
