The Documentary Film Book

"This accessible, well-executed, jargon-free collection provides readers with a concise overview of documentary film." - Choice "Edited by Brian Winston, not only a leading scholar on documentary film but also experienced as a journalist and script writer for documentaries, this book becomes nearly as rich, dynamic and diverse as its topic of study... It is clear that documentary film is ready for the future, and this book highlights past, present and future. It is strongly recommended to teachers, scholars and interested viewers alike." - Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television

This major new collection, edited by the leading British authority in the field, provides a broad and thorough introduction to documentary cinema. Contributions from leading international scholars address the history and nature of documentary, debates about truth and ethics, and documentary cinema in different national contexts and genres.

Powerfully posing questions of ethics, ideology, authorship and form, documentary film has never been more popular than it is today. Edited by one of the leading British authorities in the field, The Documentary Film Book is an essential guide to current thinking on documentary film.

In a series of fascinating essays, key international experts discuss the theory of documentary, outline current understandings of its history (from pre-Flaherty to the post-Griersonian world of digital 'i-Docs'), survey documentary production (from Africa to Europe, and from the Americas to Asia), consider documentaries by marginalised minority communities, and assess its contribution to other disciplines and arts. Brought together here in one volume, these scholars offer compelling evidence as to why, over the last few decades, documentary has come to the centre of screen studies.