Best Documentary Essay Examples & Topics

Best Documentary Essay Examples & Topics

Watching documentaries is a great way to learn new things. These are films that shape and interpret facts for education and entertainment of their viewers. It has several social functions, which are to record, preserve, and reveal, and persuade. This form of motion films also aims to entertain and educate.

If you are struggling to write a good documentary essay, our experts have combined some helpful tips for you here. So, no need to worry.

First and foremost, you should find a topic. Focus on something you are genuinely passionate about. Think about the cause that matters to you: maybe it’s climate change, slavery, environmental cause, ocean pollution, or perhaps it’s something else. It is essential to find something that speaks to you. This way, you won’t struggle with composing your paper.

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You can also find a list of essay topics for your documentary research below, checking our samples. Yet, to pick the right idea, we first need to understand what film types are available.

There are several genres of documentaries:

  • Expository documentaries. Such films present objective information with a ubiquitous presence. The filmmaker usually does not appear on the screen.
  • Poetic documentaries. They rely heavily on images and music rather than narration. That is to say, there is little verbal communication with the audience.
  • Essayistic documentaries. These movies feature an essay-like narration. The filmmaker relies both on speech and on the images to make their point.
  • Observational documentaries. They try to demonstrate an objective record of some activity. It almost does not have music and narration and tries to present the event as-it-is.
  • Participatory documentaries. The films are the complete opposite of observational ones. The filmmaker is an active participant in the movie. They appear on the screen and communicate the subject.
  • Performance documentaries. These movies feature a dramatic performance. It can be a concert, a play, or another performance event recorded in the form of a documentary.
  • Interview films. These are the records of a conversation between two or more people. It relies on communication on-screen to deliver the message rather than on images and music.
  • Dramatization. This type recreates an event using actors to bring the viewer to the event. Some argue that it is not a form of documentary.
  • Mixed documentaries. The films use different modes and techniques. It can combine poetic, expository, interview modes at the same time.
  • Animation films. Such movies are standard, too, and their most distinctive feature is the use of animation to present the material.

As for your documentary essay assignment, you can be asked to work with any documentary. Let’s figure out what tasks you will need to fulfill beforehand.

Documentary Review vs. Analysis

Not everyone understands the difference between a movie review and a movie analysis when watching movies and writing essays about the material. Sometimes these two terms are used interchangeably. Nevertheless, when it comes to grading and evaluating the paper, this difference is essential.

  • A film review essay is a “consumer-oriented” judgment that aims to recommend (or not) a movie. One can find documentary review essay examples in the newspapers, websites, or online databases.
  • An analysis of the film usually offers an interpretation and an evaluation of the movie. Some film theory is generally used as a framework to analyze and interpret the feature.

You can center your documentary essay assignment around not only a specific film but an entire genre of documentaries. You might be asked to write about a specific topic or an aspect of one movie in depth. Let’s try to see how it works!

How to Write a Documentary Essay

When you are asked to write an essay about a documentary, there are expectations. You will need to analyze specific elements in one film or a few.

No matter what your assignment is, we are here to help you nail it! Here is a short guide on how to write a documentary essay:

  1. Watch the documentary (and take notes). We highly recommended watching the film several times before you start writing anything. Throughout this process, you should take notes to recall essential elements later on. Schematically express your ideas and arguments.
  2. Choose your perspective. You need to understand the approach you will be using. However, your position should be supported by the examples and ideas from the film. Search for what others think and say on a similar issue and compare it to your thoughts.
  3. Pick what to discuss. After that, you need to start collecting the examples and ideas from the movie that support your viewpoint. All these elements should eventually connect to the main focus of your paper. You can try to do some additional research but do not forget to return to the movie continually.
  4. Outline your essay. The outline will help you stay within the word limit. This way, you’ll structure your thoughts and ideas on the paper before you start your essay. Plus, you will remain close to the intended format while writing.
  5. Write it! Start with a brief introduction about the documentary and your thesis statement at the end of it. Then, evaluate the film, developing your arguments logically. In your conclusion, restate your position on the matter and list the critical points discussed.

Thank you for reading this article till the very end! We hope you found it helpful. Share this page with those who need our help. For your inspiration, you can check the list of documentary essay examples below.

🏆 Top 10 Documentary Essay Topics

  1. The roles of documentaries in culture
  2. The history of documentary film
  3. Documentary and propaganda
  4. Documentaries with and without words: compare and contrast
  5. Narration styles in modern documentaries
  6. Pseudo-documentary as a genre
  7. The role of documentary films in education
  8. Ethnographic film and its role in social science
  9. Documentary in the era of social-media platforms
  10. The ethics of documentary film

390 Documentary Essay Examples

Smartest Guys in the Room

5
Many people invested in the company and with the increase in the range of products, and consequently, the number of employees had to be increased.
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1969

Themes in Ava DuVernay’s “13th”

The other important themes accentuated in the film include mass incarceration, racism, social bias, the gender issue, the impact on the environment, the social impact, the ineffectiveness of a prison system, and education.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1181
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The Century of the Self: Video Summary

This part concentrates on the changes the newly elected President Roosevelt was making to lead America out of the economic crisis, the alternatives to democracy that were being sought around the world, and Bernays' later [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 913

“The American Factory”: Plot and Issues Portrayed

In the film American Factory, Bognar and Reichert delve deep into the livelihoods of the American workers in Ohio and the problematic transition experienced by Chinese managers to American work culture and way of life.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1069
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The 2008 Banking Crisis in the Documentary “Inside Job”

Using the documentary "Inside Job", the paper presented below asserts that the malpractices of different banking experts, the ethical dilemma revolving around ratings agencies' actions, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley and the Glass-Steagall Acts influenced the nature [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1412

The Documentary “Age 7 in America” by Phil Joanou

Instead, they are interesting in hopes for the future, hobbies, and activities that do not represent traditional gender bias. The effects of being raised with attention to gender bias are evident in their values and [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 292

The Documentary “Inequality for All?”

As competition continues to become fierce in the global market, more companies will be expected to engage in different malpractices thus threatening the lives of more people. Experts also believe that this problem will continue [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 557

The Documentary “Supplements and Safety”

The Frontline documentary, "Supplements and Safety," provides a thorough and insightful description of the main problems existing in the supplement industry: safety, regulation, and efficacy.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 900

Themes in “I Am” Documentary by Tom Shadyac

Shadyac wanted to tell everyone what he had come to know: that the world was a lie, and the activities which he had always considered to be improving it were, in fact, destroying it. I [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 876

The Documentary “The American Nurse” by Carolyn Jones

The story of Jason Short demonstrates autonomy characterized by his independence and self-confidence, as he works alone and manages to help the members of his community without any support from other healthcare professionals.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 650
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“The 11th Hour” Environmental Documentary

1
Thus, to overcome the catastrophic events and to predict the worsening of the situation, it is important to answer questions about the causes of the processes and the ways to cope with the ecological crisis.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 805
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21st Century Hackers – Documentary Review

5
According to the documentary, hacking is of three different types: white hackers, black hackers, and grey hackers. On the other side, there are black hackers who use their hacking pedigree to extort money from innocent [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 547

The Documentary “Taboo: Blood Bonds”

One of the things that attracted my attention is that women have to ensure the wellbeing of children almost independently, while their spouses do not have to take many responsibilities. This is one of the [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 566

The Documentary “Waiting Room”

The patients featured in the film present the excruciating pains and frustrations the patients without insurance covers face in American public hospitals.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 628

McDonald’s Ethics in Super-Size Me Documentary

In my opinion, it is every retailer's and food manufacturing company's ethical responsibility to clearly mention not only all the preservatives but also the processing that a food has been subjected to so as to [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 947

HBO Documentary Risky Drinking

The documentary displays how excessive drinking can shadow one's perception of life, and how the addiction can hinder people's strive to act upon their need to better themselves.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 363

“Born into Brothels” Documentary Analysis

Title of the film: Born into Brothels: Calcutta Red Light Kids Date released: January 17, 2004 Producers: Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman I selected this movie due to the controversies that surround it.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 749

The Documentary “Triumph of the Nerds”

The introduction of personal computers to the market revolutionized almost every aspect of human life today."Triumph of the Nerds" is a 1996 documentary about the history of personal computing since the creation of the first [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 675

Waiting for Superman

From the analysis of this film, appeal based on the character of the speaker has been manifested in the author's belief about teaching and education.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 682
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Documentary Films Concept and Definition

The definition of documentary films addresses such features as the level of control, the institutional base, the structure of texts, and the attitude towards viewers.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1356

Hot Coffee Documentary

The film "Hot Coffee" informs the viewer about the facts surrounding the case. It informs the citizens why many corporations have continued to support this reform.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 827
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The Film Baraka and Its Spiritual Reflections

The instances of silence between the music are as imperative as the music itself. The film director seizes this opportunity to propose the theme of the film through as simple and a plain cut.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1069

The “They Call Us Monsters” Film Analysis

Jarad had a traumatic connection to seeing his stepfather try to commit suicide, while Juan grew up with the feeling that he was not accepted by his father and constantly felt that he competed with [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1116

The Documentary “Last Train Home”

The social issues that have been shown in the documentary are living condition of migrant workers in cities, the growing gap between the children and their absentee parents, and the change in the position of [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1385

“Daughter from Danang” a Film by Gail Dolgin

For instance, in the movie, 'Daughter from Danang', Heidi's adoptive mother plays a major role in terms of showing her the need to forego her Vietnamese culture in order to fit into the American way [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 977

Documentaries as a Education Tool

In this context, the importance of ensuring that the audience is interested in the documentary's content is critical. In this regard, the effectiveness of a documentary in providing information is realized ethically.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 541

What the Bleep Do We Know!? (2004)

One of the major themes is the representation of the physical universe as it is known to the human and the life that exists within this universe.
  • Pages: 13
  • Words: 3663
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The Documentary ‘The Inventor’ by Alex Gibney

Thus, the firm depicted two realities: in the first, Elizabeth Holmes tried to save the world and reform the medical field, and in the second, lab employees misrepresented the blood tests and worked unethically.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 973

The “Meet the Patels” Documentary by Patel & Patel

The 2014 film Meet the Patels centers on the topic of intergenerational cultural dissonance in immigrant families, characterized by the conflict of cultural values between parents and children. Thus, Ravi's use of avoiding conflict style [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 295

The “Central Park Five” Documentary

The documentary provides in-depth information on the arrests and interrogations of the suspects, the sentences, vacations of the convictions, and the interviews with the accused men.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 404

Documentary Review “Killer Landslides”

The geologists collaborating with the filmmakers examine the samples of soil and clay in the area affected by the landslide to investigate the contributing factors, such as heavy rains in the Pacific Northwest.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 563
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“Ishi: The Last Yahi” by Theodora Kroeber

The film entitled "Ishi: The Last Yahi" presents a documentary overview of the events of the beginning of the 20th century when a renowned anthropologist Kroeber used the last representative of a native Yahi tribe [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 535

“Super Size Me” Documentary by Morgan Spurlock

Talking about the ethical side of the movie Super Size Me and its hard critics of McDonald's and the style of life offered by this company, it is necessary to admit that its author, Morgan [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1059

The Movie Life and Debt

In fact, tourists enjoy the best of weather, imported food, and entertainment in a country where the mass is in absolute penury.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1359

The Documentary “Documenting Hate: Charlottesville”

The video clearly reveals the flaws in the official response to the situation in Charlottesville. It is their duty to prevent violent confrontations, and there was an apparent need to increase the attention to the [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 333

Elizabeth Leiter’s The Abortion Divide Review

Undeniably, The Abortion Divide film adequately shows the gradual growth in differences between the pro-choice and pro-life supporters but fails to bring a solution to the moral problem of abortion.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1023

Enron in “The Smartest Guys in the Room” Film

The events of the current world economic situation can be perceived through the Enron debacle described in the movie "The Smartest Guys in the Room"."The Smartest Guys in the Room" is considered to be a [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 787

Documentary Film Definition

The realism of images and the absence of any embellishments can be regarded as the key characteristic of the documentary genre in photography.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 200

Social Issues in “Born into Brothels” Film

It is possible to apply the feminist theory to consider a family featured in the film. In Shanti's family, this is also the case, and her mother is afraid of her daughter's future as the [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 593
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The Documentary “The Invisible War”

The systematic cover-ups of assault cases illuminate how patriarchy and the lack of accountability have made sexual violence against servicewomen to persist in the military.
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1654

Sicko: U.S. Health Care System Issues

Basically, it compares universal health care system in other countries to that of United States. This reached its peak during the warm up to 2008 elections in which major components of health care reforms were [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 931

Inside North Korea: Michael Wood’s Documentary

In connection to this statement, the movie highlights the character of the King as a cult which is very much profound to the extent that it pervades every aspect of the ordinary life of a [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1235
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”The Mystery of Memory” Documentary by Gray & Schwarz

The documentary examines the brain's ability to form and retrieve a memory, highlights the importance of neurobiology, and focuses on the problems of PTSD treatment and neuroscience backwardness, concluding that human memory is still a [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1123

BBC Documentary About Byzantine Art

In the architecture of Byzantium, much attention was paid to the decoration of the temple, not only outside but also inside, and the type of domed Basilica was developed.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 584

Sustainability. An Inconvenient Truth Documentary

The clearing of forests by mass burning, which is happening at a phenomenal rate in the tropical rain forests, is decreasing the amount of CO2 that is absorbed and increasing the amount that is added [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 980
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“Street Fight” a Film by Cory Booker

The main goal of this paper is to discuss the concepts of leadership and power, using examples that are presented in a film Street Fight. His slogans emphasized the importance of changes in the leadership [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 561

The Film “We Were Soldiers”

While the film focuses on the events on the battleground, it equally provides the viewers with a parallel story of the families and wives of the soldiers in the war as they grief for their [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1202

The Speaking in Tongues Documentary Overview

The film Speaking in Tongues focuses on the experiences of four families with children in a DLI program in California, and interviews educators, researchers, and advocates who support and oppose bilingual education.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1396
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“A Beautiful Mind” Directed by Ron Howard

When he is working on his graduate studies, he is so concentrated on proposing a unique concept that he does not have a moment for anything else, and it rewards off in the end.
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1682

Documentary Review: “Inside Job”

It begins with the Great Depression, and details the evolution and devolution of regulation of the financial industry over the next three quarters of a century.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 954

“Helvetica” by Gary Hustwit

He describes the font as being "neutral," and this is an important fact because "the meaning is in the content of the text and not in the typeface".
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 559

The Movie “Color of Fear”

The issue of racism is introduced by the film's director right from the beginning. Therefore, by the end of the video the issue of race is already embedded in the mind of the viewer.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 586
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The Summary of Harvest of Empire

Thus, the active immigration processes and the 'invasion' of the Latinos in the USA are the logical consequences of the prolonged territorial expansion of the USA and its economic influence in the region that is [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 567

Terms and Conditions May Apply Documentary

Specifically, the authors of the terms and conditions fraud theory address the issue as a secret strategy that hides the concrete objectives of a particular Internet company under the multiple pages of plain textual reiterations [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 581

Episode Five of “The Full Swing” Documentary

By featuring male and female golfers together, the LIV Golf Tour seeks to promote gender variety in the sport. In this episode, justice is primarily demonstrated through the competitive nature of the LIV Golf Tour.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1104

Response to “The Last Colony” Documentary

The director claims that the United States and Puerto Rico's fates are intertwined. I knew the US and Puerto Rico have a paradoxical political, societal, economic, and territorial relationship.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 396
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The Documentary “People Like Us”: Reflection

The film delves into their lifestyles, values, and experiences, as well as examples of how social class influences hobbies, preferences, tastes, and overall life opportunities."The People Like Us" provides an insightful examination of America's social [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 590

Mexican Experience in “9500 Liberty” Documentary

Overall, we can better comprehend the social, cultural, and economic forces that influence the lives of Spanish-speaking immigrants in the US by applying sociological viewpoint theories to their experiences.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 387

The “Slavery by Another Name” Documentary

The documentary highlights how the laws and policies of that time enabled the exploitation of Black people and how the legacy of slavery continued to shape the racial dynamics of the country.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 311

The “Kids Behind Bars” Documentary Review

Some of the most interesting findings in the documentary relate to the public and system response to the offenders. However, this does not deny the significance of socioeconomic and other components in such predictions.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 676

Putin: Craving for Power Documentary Analysis

Conversely, the documentary provides a more in-depth examination of Putin's leadership style and decisions. The book offers a more comprehensive and in-depth analysis of Russia's political landscape and Putin's difficulties in leading the nation.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 677

A Plastic Tide: A Documentary Analysis

The film provides extensive supporting evidence to prove its main argument and convey the message that it is critical to introduce new and effective recycling policies to prevent the negative impact of plastic waste.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 357
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The “Age of the Consequences” Documentary

The documentary Age of the Consequences is an eye-opening exploration of the potential consequences of climate change. Overall, Age of Consequences is a critically acclaimed documentary identifying the effects climate change has on national and [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 603

“Broken on All Side”, Directed by Matthew Pillischer

It analyzed the complicated issues of discretion within the system, racial targeting, and the highest surge in the number of individuals jailed in America's history, presenting a historical narrative rarely heard about prisons and crime.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 673
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The Talking Black in America Documentary

It explores the ingenuity and resiliency of individuals who have endured persecution, segregation, and the battle for equality because of the speech variety of the African-American community.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 183
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