Why Documentary Filmmaking Continues to be the Most Authentic?

Posted by Varun Singh on January 29th, 2017

In an era where filmmaking as a term has been modified to include various forms of media that include short and long films, animated films, photo stories as well documentary films, it is the last kind of filmmaking that is still looked up for telling stories that are authentic and closest to the truth. Whether one is making a documentary film on socially relevant issues on short productions telling the story of endurance and courage of one lone individual, there are so many reasons why this mode of filmmaking has been and will remain an enriching experience.

Closest to the truth

This is one of the most important reasons why documentary filmmaking continues to allure creators hoping as well as wanting to tell stories that re rooted in reality. And this is also one of the biggest differences between fiction films and documentary filmmaking. Of course, today one can stylize and embellish a documentary in such a way that it becomes appealing as well as ‘telling’.

There is no one way of telling a tale

Long gone are days when documentary filmmaking was restricted by its medium. Today, one comes across documentary filmmakers who are pushing the envelope in this scene. They are exploring the medium like never before. From using mobile phones such as the iPhone to shoot an entire film to dramatizing the truth by using creative forms such as animation, and even puppetry there is no limit to the ways that are being employed to make great documentary films. Moreover, production houses all over the world including India are employed documentary filmmakers and other experts such as scriptwriters, storyboard artists and editors who are not afraid to go the extra mile.

Documentary films need not be long and boring

One of the myths attached to documentary films is that they are always long in duration and more informative than entertaining. Well, this assumption is far from the truth if recent work is taken into account. One of the most important factors setting apart a good film from an average one, are the ‘hands on deck’. A good production house will put in both time and energy into making an engaging film. There are many such organizations such as Razzmatazz Films and Little Anarchy Films that employ the best minds when it comes to documentary filmmaking.

Finally, the most important reason why documentary filmmakers are so sought after even when fiction seems to be the most ‘exciting’ arena of filmmaking is one simple reason: at the end of the day we as an audience want to see a true reflection of the lives that we are leading and the times that we live in. This is precisely why so many documentary films tug at our hearts. They need not be long or even exquisitely shot; the sheer truth portrayed via them — whether a heart-warming tale of human glory or a gut wrenching tale of injustice and human ill will — these stories continue to stay with us long after ‘curtain call’.