That’s right fellow producers and filmmakers, documentary films are taking flight! According to The Economist, documentary films now make up 16 percent of the Cannes Film Festival slate, compared to about 8 percent in 2008.
A great example of a documentary of such sorts is Joshua Oppenheimer’s acclaimed film, “The Look of Silence,” which is currently streaming on Netflix or the Oscar-winning “CitizenFour” by Laura Poitras, which has been deemed the film of the century.
Experts think that documentary films are becoming the new cool kids on the block because they offer more facts and in depth-ness than current news outlets. Americans don’t trust media outlets to be truthful and accurate.
It’s not just jumbled facts that make documentaries work. An effective documentary will have truths mixed in with strong emotional points of view and must feel authentic. Documentaries give viewers context, something that current news doesn’t do. Although not fair and balanced, story-telling and context prove key when trying to get an audience to respond to a story.
Maybe the apathy that so many Americans have towards the tragedies (and politics) around them would be non-existent if documentary film were substituted for daily journalism? For all those thinking of their next big project, documentaries are here for your consideration.
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