Documentary Film Research Articles

A critical overview of Zainichi Korean films since 1945

ABSTRACT This paper gives an overview of the history of Zainichi Korean films from 1945 to the present and explores the historical environment and popular demands that drove the production of major works. After World War II, the Zainichi Korean community took on the challenge of film production for the first time on the strength of GHQ’s favorable policies and cultural solidarity with the Japanese socialists. This challenge, which began with newsreels and documentary films, soon entered a long period of stagnation due to the political upheaval of the time, a conflict with GHQ, and deteriorating relations with the Japanese Communist Party. In the 1970s, Zainichi films gradually began to revive, centering on the documentary genre, thanks to Zainichi Korean directors who had learned production skills under progressive Japanese filmmakers. As the mini-theater boom in the 1980s created an environment in which small-scale, non-mainstream films could be distributed and consumed in Japan, Zainichi films gradually expanded their scope through the production of various drama films. At last, the Zainichi Korean film genre finally began to establish itself firmly in Japanese film history. In particular, after the 2000s when the Korean Wave (Hallyu) phenomenon became noticeable in Japan, female directors and South Korean directors emerged to capture minor and workaday issues from multifaceted perspectives, and the general public in Japan enthusiastically consumed their works. Zainichi Korean films continue to strive to embrace both social issues and mass appeal.

Mendax v Verax Images of Snowden and Assange in Fiction and Documentary Films

This paper deals with depictions of the whistleblower Edward Snowden and publisher/activist Julian Assange in fiction and documentary Films and aims to compare and contrast the images of the two whistleblowers in the media: one the “good patriot”, the other an “egotistical” outsider. Whereas a film like Snowden (2016) tries to locate Snowden in the tradition of American whistleblowing as a righteous critique of power and depict him as a “good” individual, films about WikiLeaks/Assange tend to focus on his problematic personality, as in The Fifth Estate (2013). Is it possible to think Snowden and Assange together, even when they appear radically different: Mendax, the (noble) “liar” and Verax, the truth teller? At the same time, whistleblowing can be read through critique of ideology as put forth by Slavoj Žižek, a critique that is perhaps only possible through the “naive” gaze of the whistleblower and can help us discern the act of whistleblowing as such from the individualistic approach often deployed by the media.

The imaginaries of the city of Norilsk, from the Soviet industrial utopia to the contemporary nickel legend

Norilsk is a polar city in Russia, located to the South of the Taimyr Peninsula in the Arctic Circle. The city’s surroundings are rich in unique deposits of polymetallic ores, and life in the city is organised around metal extraction. This is a reason why Norilsk is an interesting object for analysis of the social representation of the city’s image. Social representation is a fairly new socio-philosophical concept. By the word ‘representation’ we mean perceptions that are formed on the basis of reality. In the case of Norilsk, it is the result of all perceptions of the city and its environment. The study is based on contemporary documentary films, geographical, historical and journalistic documents. The analysis of perceptions of Norilsk allows us to understand the reasons for ideological debates around the history of Russia, such as discussions about memorials to victims of political repressions. Statements about Norilsk are contradictory. Negative statements are related to negative perceptions of the city, while positive statements are related to the residents’ love for their city. The analysis of representations related to the architecture of Norilsk allows us to identify gaps in the official discourse about the foundation of the city and explore its historical background. The study has revealed that the Soviet architectural heritage is well-preserved and documented, while statements about buildings associated with the Gulag are relegated to a marginalised space. Consideration of external and local representations of Norilsk allows us to understand the process of rewriting the history of the city.

Media Arts Suspensions and Deviations - Paz dos Reis between Cinema and Photography

Media have non-linear evolutions. This means that new media failures or retractions can highlight overlooked features of old media. The very early history of Portuguese Cinema is one of those moments: the new and promising cinema technologies were first experimented and then discarded by Aurélio da Paz dos Reis, the pioneer of Portuguese cinema. Instead, he intensely explored in photography a solution for covering current affairs. The creation of the ‘Portuguese Stereoscope’, a commercial stereoscopic card series that depicted political events such as the agitated republic rallies, the social life of the bourgeoisie and the daily life in the streets of Porto, was an international innovation: it consisted of the very first photojournalism in 3D. This research project will investigate this historical fact by checking in the press the events covered by Paz dos Reis and by creating an online media art installation that will allow the matching of these materials with his stereos to understand how these 3D news materials relate to current VR 360º new videos. This digital curation will be developed as an artistic research method which will also allow to experiment with film materials: photograph the original Aurelio’s camera kept by the Portuguese Cinematheque (ANIM) to create a 3d object, and a documentary film focused on some of his most symbolic photographs. It is expected that this research project will lead to a new approach towards the work of Paz dos Reis.

Refining English tutors' skills: Documentary films as pre-teaching reference

Training spoken English tutors requires a variety of resources, including audio-visual references. However, popular social media tutorials often focus on teaching specific English materials, neglecting broader teaching techniques. Ideal tutors need a positive and engaging personality, knowledge transfer strategies, adaptable approaches to classroom conditions, meticulous preparation, and effective wrap-up activities - elements that are missing from most tutorial videos. This study investigates the potential of short documentary films as a reference for teaching techniques for 13 prospective tutors in an intermediate English class. Through an integrated mentoring program for the production of short documentaries, the study explores, describes and addresses the challenges of teaching preparation through observation, interviews and literature review. It also analyzes the potential of documentaries to support teaching and formulates criteria for effective documentary content relevant to teacher preparation. The findings suggest that integrating documentary film production into the English language teaching curriculum can equip tutors with the necessary skills for successful micro-teaching experiences. This approach allows tutors to create personalized short documentaries that serve as a reference for teaching techniques tailored to their specific pre-teaching needs. Tutors gain a deeper understanding and ability to demonstrate not only teaching techniques, but also classroom management elements such as preparation, wrap-up activities, brainstorming and teaching approaches.

Arab-Latin American Literary Perspectives on the Palestinian Exile

Latin America has been deeply involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with some countries taking a firm stance for one side or the other. While some countries have been vocal in their support, common threads run through the region’s perspective on the conflict: believing in the importance of a two-state solution and focusing on human rights. But beyond the political and economic support provided to the Palestinian cause, Latin American countries have also served as cultural exclaves and safe spaces for Palestinian communities across Latin America. In this essay, we aim to delve into the functions of these cultural exclaves for Palestinian exiles and safe spaces for Palestinian diasporic communities, as well as their impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as reflected in the following texts: Miguel Littin’s documentary film Crónicas palestinas: caminos de la ira (2002) and his drama film La última luna (2005), Alberto Nazal’s Beit Jala Forever (2006), and the collections of Arab and Jewish short stories in Spanish complied in the books Caminos para la paz (2007), edited by Ignacio López-Calvo and Cristián H. Ricci, and Delta de las areas (2013), edited by Rose Mary Salum. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2024 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]

Transmedial Approach to the Poems of Imtiaz Dharker

The convergence of different media to express strong emotions, which is termed as ‘transmediality’ in the recent studies has become more important in recent years due to easy access to different kinds of media and the lowered costs of media productions. Such an approach offers up interesting perspectives on the work of Imtiaz Dharker, a poet, documentary film maker and visual artist, who illustrates her poetry collections with her own drawings, which “form an integral part of her books”.

A lens into the everyday: visual ethnographies and making a multi-storied film in North-eastern Sri Lanka

Film and visual methods have increasingly become significant focus areas of International Relations (IR) and feminist research. Feminist filmmakers have put particular emphasis on co-production and participatory filmmaking as more symmetrical approaches to research, which can provide visibility for marginalized voices and can challenge dominant perceptions. In this article, I reflect on my experience of making Hidden Voices, an eighty-minute documentary film about everyday experiences of living with disappearances in North-eastern Sri Lanka and the complex ways in which individuals and communities navigate legacies of violence and recovery. I emphasize the ethnographic value of film in bringing out the less visible relational and embodied everyday. As part of this, I discuss film as a type of ‘tour’, which can open opportunities for self-direction from participants and can offer a unique affective medium and way of seeing. While some present film narratives as a ‘microcosm’ of specific local experiences, I used Hidden Voices to explore diverse experiences and at times diverging standpoints. I also highlight the ongoing dialogical and didactic social value of film. While visual methods can be powerful tools for ethnographic research, I also discuss ethical and epistemological tensions inherent in making a research-based film.

The effects of an educational intervention on reducing stigma among medical students toward patients with psychiatric disorders

BackgroundStigma surrounding psychiatric disorders persists among medical students, who represent the future of healthcare provision. The reluctance of these students to engage with patients with psychiatric conditions poses challenges in delivering appropriate healthcare services. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an educational package on reducing stigma and altering attitudes toward patients with mental illnesses among medical students.MethodsThis interventional and quasi-experimental study enrolled medical students who entered in a 4-week clinical post in psychiatry wards from September 2021 to February 2022. Each group of students was randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. All students in the two groups underwent practical training in psychiatry wards. An anti-stigma educational package was provided for the students in the intervention group. This package consisted of three components, including a one-hour virtual training session titled “Stigma, its importance, and coping strategies”, watching three short documentary films on the experiences of successfully treated patients with mental illness, and writing a reflection after a face-to-face interview with a hospitalized patient. The Attitudes Toward Mental Illness (ATMI) questionnaire was used to evaluate the attitudes of all students at the end of the rotation. Additionally, content analysis was performed on the reflection writings of the intervention group.ResultsThe intervention group (n = 142) and control group (n = 92) showed slight changes in ATMI. The effect sizes were small. Both the intervention and control groups demonstrated significant improvements in attitudes toward the treatment of mental illness. Content analysis of reflection writings highlighted increased awareness, empathy, and medical students’ need for more educational content on the significance of stigma and how to address it.ConclusionsThe educational intervention did not significantly impact medical students’ attitudes toward patients with psychiatric disorders; however, the standard clinical training and exposure to psychiatric patients may be sufficient to enhance students’ perspectives on the treatability of mental illness. Writing a reflection regarding face-to-face exposure with a patient with mental illness may increase awareness and empathy in medical students. Further investigation is needed to assess the long-term effects of reflection on medical students’ behavior.

The visual construction of the people’s country and the Chinese nation: political aesthetics in the Ethno-documentaries of New China

This paper discusses the political positioning of the people and the cultural image of the Chinese nation through the lens of the Social-historical Scientific Documentary Films of China’s ethnic minorities (hereafter referred to as “the Ethno-documentaries”) by restoring the problem to the site of the investigation of humanities and social sciences and the General Surveys on (Folk) Arts in the early years of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in the 1950s. Through detailed analysis of specific Ethno-documentary films, this paper explores how the social sciences conducted its “Social and Historical Investigation of China’s Ethnic Minorities” via the medium of film to convey the advanced social concepts and ideological work of the new regime through the historical narrative of art and politics. This study highlights three key points. First, the “Chinese nation” as a modern political concept dates its origins back to the 1920s with the emergence of the “National Heritage Reorganization Movement” and the “Doubting Antiquity School.” However, it was only through the medium of the Ethno-documentaries that this concept was visually and aurally represented in films for the first time, which draws our attention to the fact that the entry point for understanding modern China lies in discerning the relationship between culture and politics. Second, when discussing the relationship between culture and politics, this study juxtaposes the Ethno-documentaries and “art for workers-peasants-soldiers,” which developed during the same period. These two forms of art focus respectively on national history and the suffering of the lower classes of society, and it is this intertextual nature of the historical narrative that jointly anchors the cultural and historical view of New China. Lastly, historical view is the core of the humanities, social sciences, and art disciplines in New China. Previous studies have mainly attributed certain phenomena to the “politicization” or “pan-politicization” of a particular historical period due to disciplinary barriers and cultural trauma and have stopped discussing such topics in depth. In contrast, the significance of the political aesthetics in the Ethno-documentaries is to have transformed classical Chinese artistic language into a modern one to represent the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. It also raises a question of re-sinicization of many modern political issues that have persisted until now: How do today’s Chinese art works vividly depict the prosperity of this country and its hardworking and courageous people?

Picture perfect science communication: How public audiences respond toinformational labels in cinematic-style 3D data visualization.

Visualizing research data can be an important science communication tool. In recent decades, 3D data visualization has emerged as a key tool for engaging public audiences. Such visualizations are often embedded in scientific documentaries screened on giant domes in planetariums or delivered through video streaming services such as Amazon Prime. 3D data visualization has been shown to be an effective way to communicate complex scientific concepts to the public. With its ability to convey information in a scientifically accurate and visually engaging way, cinematic-style 3D data visualization has the potential to benefit millions of viewers by making scientific information more understandable and interesting. Maximizing the effectiveness of 3D data visualization can benefit millions of viewers. To support a wider shift in this professional field towards more evidence-based practice in 3D data visualization to enhance science communication impact, we have conducted a survey experiment comparing audience responses to two versions of 3D data visualizations from a scientific documentary film on the theme of 'solar superstorms' (n = 577). This study was conducted using a single (with two levels: labeled and unlabeled), between-subjects, factorial design. It reveals key strengths and weaknesses of communicating science using 3D data visualization. It also shows the limited power of strategically deployed informational labels to affect audience perceptions of the documentary film and its content. The major difference identified between experimental and control groups was that the quality ratings of the documentary film clip were significantly higher for the 'labeled' version. Other outcomes showed no statistically significant differences. The limited effects of informational labels point to the idea that other aspects, such as the story structure, voiceover narration and audio-visual content, are more important determinants of outcomes. This study concludes with a discussion of how this new research evidence informs our understanding of 'what works and why' with cinematic-style 3D data visualizations for the public.

Международные конференции, посвященные исто­рии чингизидских государств

On August 19, 2024, Astana hosted an international conference on “Topical issues on the history of the Kazakh Khanate from the second half of the 15th – first half of the 18th century”. On August 20–21, another international conference was held, entitled, “Ethnopolitical history of the Jochi, Chagatai, Haidu and Moghulistan uluses” and dedicated to the 800th anniversary of the formation of the Jochid Ulus. The event was organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Scientific Institute for the Study of the Jochid Ulus. More than 70 leading scientists, specialists and researchers researching the history of nomadic societies and empires, including the history of the Kazakh Khanate and the Golden Horde, from Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, China, Canada, Japan, and Austria participated in the conferences. The conferences discussed the issues of studying the Kazakh Khanate and the ethnopolitical history of the Jochi, Chagatai, and Haidu Uluses which were formed during the collapse of the Mongolian Empire. Moreover the participants discussed the issues of developing the fourth volume of the History of Kazakhstan and creating a separate book dedicated to the history of the Kazakh Khanate. Within the framework of the 2nd conference dedicated to the history of the Jochi, Chagatai, Haidu uluses, and Moghulistan, a private screening was organized for the documentary film “Batu: Historical Detective” created by Kazakh director Rashid Nugmanov. The was contributed to by historians and researchers from Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia, France, Canada and the USA.

(Re)Constructing Collective Memory. Mobile Media Based Documentaries on the Siege of Mariupol

The article analyses the discursive structure of mobile media-based documentaries using videos recorded by civilians during the siege of Mariupol. In the first part of the analysis, I will outline the characteristics of contemporary participatory warfare, and examine the ways in which this form of war (and its representation) becomes personalised and individual-focused. I will then briefly explore the form and structure of mobile media-based documentaries and the participative character of this subgenre. In the analyses of the chosen films (Mariupol: The People’s Story [Robin Barnwell, 2022] and Mariupol: Unlost Hope [Maksim Litvinov, 2022]), I will address the problem of incorporating videos taken by civilians into documentary film, focusing on the resulting visual shifts and changes as well as their affective impacts. Furthermore, I will examine how the contextualisation of mobile phone footage shifts the focus from the personal narrative of the individual to aspects of collective suffering. To explore these issues, I will highlight the problem of war video-selfies in The People’s Story, whilst in Unlost Hope I will focus on the (inter)medial differences between low-resolution amateur footage (poor cinema) and a painting which plays a central role in the film.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Analyze Nature of Science Themes: Einstein and Eddington Documentary Film Example

Understanding the nature of science is an essential component of scientific literacy. In a technology and media-oriented environment, text-processing algorithms and various artificial learning approaches are crucial and continue to develop. Latent Dirichlet Allocation is a topic modeling algorithm that has been used frequently for many years to extract the main themes in many documents. This study examined the nature of science themes in the documentary film "Einstein and Eddington," which lasted 1 hour and 28 minutes, with the Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic extraction algorithm. First, the texts in the documentary film were fragmented into 30-second, 1-minute, and 3-minute periods to obtain three different datasets. Considering the literature on these datasets, experiments were carried out using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm to extract 5, 7, and 9 topics. The Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm developed with R programming language was used to analyze the data. In the analysis made by the computer, it is seen that science-related words such as science, scientist, theory, the universe, Eddington, think, speed, and answer stand out. While it was observed that it was difficult to distinguish the detected topics from each other on limited data, it was concluded that the dataset created with 30-second periods made more sensitive topic inferences. Despite the challenges posed by subjectivity regarding the nature of science, it is thought that computer-aided models can provide much more than information retrieval and advanced search. In this context, although it seems pretty difficult to extract the nature of science themes on limited data with the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm, it is possible that the artificial learning models to be used in addition to the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm can detect the nature of science themes.

Cultural Therapy and Concern for the Archive. The Case of Documentary Video Archives by Tomáš Rafa

In this paper, the author explores current perspectives on contemporary art projects through the concept of the archive. By applying a theoretical framework termed “concern for the archive”, the author aims to elucidate complex relationships between the archive as a medium and the situated practices of contemporary art. The paper examines contemporary art as a form of temporary memory storage, particularly through the analysis of Tomáš Rafa’s documentary films. It addresses two key questions: What specific aspects of concern for the archive can be identified in political or activist contemporary art? How does concern for the archive differ from archival care, and why is this distinction important? In the first section, the author discusses the “zones of contact” in political activist art, highlighting the formation of dialogical structures and distinguishing them from scientific research and purely documentary creation. The second section traces the layers of artistic training in Grzegorz Kowalski's renowned studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, where the author gained experience in organizing and documenting collective workshops. This part reveals the specifics of documentary video creation with its activist and archival overlaps. In the final sections, the author outlines a theoretical framework for interpreting documentary video pieces in relation to the concepts of archive, cultural trauma, and cultural therapy.

Stand-up documentary: An emerging narrative device in Yvonne Orji’s comedy

Stand-up documentary—the inclusion of video film footage in stand-up performances—is a growing trend in comedy specials. Gary Gulman in The Great Depresh and Whitmer Thomas in The Golden One are some of the earliest comedians to employ documentary clips in creating portraits of their real-life circumstances on stage. More recently, Yvonne Orji’s comedy special for Home Box Office (HBO) entitled Momma, I Made It! also utilizes documentary video films of the comedienne’s experience in Nigeria to bring the Nigerian experience closer to her American audience. In this article I bring to the academic mainstream the understudied subject of stand-up documentary in humour studies. Through close reading and nuanced analyses of the gig, I examine stand-up documentary as a novel device of narration through which Orji introduces her audience to life in Nigeria through an exposition of her experiences growing up. Accentuating the differences between Nigerians and Americans and playing on Nigerian stereotypes, the comedienne deploys the clips as precise proofs transitioning her American audience into the alternate Nigerian contexts in Momma, I Made It! I conclude that stand-up documentary enhances the credibility of the performance, shapes perceptions of Nigerians, and facilitates audience understanding of cultural contexts that would otherwise remain unfamiliar to them.

Dangerous remembering in volatile spaces: Activist memory work in the Iranian context

This article studies the interrelations of memory work and activism in the Iranian context by focusing on the way remembering victims of state violence informs political activism. Due to constant repression, the recurrence of state violence and the criminalisation of oppositional activities and non-conforming lifestyles, the Iranian context is saturated with contentious memories that cannot be brought into public space. Oppositional memory work, especially regarding the victims of direct state violence, has thus become dangerous, counts as defiance and requires alternative spaces for taking shape. This article maps out and explains how activist memory work in this context entails carving out activist memoryscapes and intertwines personal suffering with acts of remembering the other and how memory is used as a resource in broader modes of oppositional politics, justice-seeking and endeavours towards social change. Examples of activist memory work in the Woman, Life, Freedom protests, a short documentary film and a commemorative exhibition are analysed in the article to showcase the different mnemonic dynamics at stake and to highlight the importance of mediation and cultural forms in the formation of activist memory work.

Administrative Solutions for Developing the Management of Documentary Film Production at Al-Iraqiya Channel

Administrative Solutions for Developing the Management of Documentary Film Production at Al-Iraqiya Channel

Analysing the Meaning of Audience for Cross-gender Artists in the Documentary Lelaki Ayu Primadona Java: Lengger Lanang

Lengger Lanang is a traditional Javanese dance performed by a group of men that dress like women. This tradition might clash with a conservative Indonesian culture that considers cross-dressing men as deviant. This research aims to analyze how a group of people perceive a documentary film titled Lelaki Ayu Primadona Jawa: Lengger Lanang about a group of Lengger Lanang dancers. Using Stuart Hall’s encoding-decoding theory, this research involved seven informants who were divided into three groups of reader positions: dominant, negotiation and opposition. This research used a descriptive qualitative research design which focuses on the audience's reading position by analyzing the audience's understanding of cross-gender artists through documentary film scenes. Data was obtained from in-depth interviews with the informants. The research results showed that four informants who were in dominant positions and three informants who were in negotiating positions, and there were no audience members who were in opposition positions. The audience's reading position is influenced by the background of the audience watching the documentary. The audience interprets this documentary as an understanding of artists across gender but also discusses the preservation of the culture, history and values ​​of the Lengger Lanang dancers.

Переосмысление места человека в социокультурном контексте в концепте режиссуры Владимира Тюлькина

The article investigates the evolution of documentary cinematography of Kazakhstan during the period of independence through the prism of films by Vladimir Tyulkin. The work analyzes how the reflection of the country’s socio-cultural changes expresses itself through the documentary films, revealing the connection between the director’s personal interpretation and historical transformations.The use of Eduard Dubrovskiy’s methodology such as “problem statement”, “hero reflecting the essence of the problem”, “primary dramatic situation” and “method of embodiment” allows us to identify the main dramaturgical categories in Tyulkin’s films, as well as to explore how the director builds a dialog with the audience, unfolding social and historical narratives. The documentary films chosen for art historical analysis are: Lord of the Flies (1991), It’s not about Dogs (2010), and 13 Kilometers (2018). These films have not yet received a sufficiently deep and comprehensive analysis in academic literature. They show various aspects of Kazakhstan’s reality, including political changes, social challenges and personal stories of ordinary people influenced by big historical processes. The analysis focuses on the visual and narrative strategies that the filmmaker uses to create a powerful emotional impact and a deep understanding of the events context.The novelty of the study lies in the exploration of these three works that reveal the author’s concept of directing, aimed to the psychological review of a human being and his interaction with the surrounding world. It opens new horizons for understanding the interaction of cinema with the socio-cultural context.