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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
The roles of documentaries in culture
The history of documentary film
Documentary and propaganda
Documentaries with and without words: compare and contrast
The documentary begins with an intriguing synopsis of the recent culmination of corporate scandals, and then it proceeds to ridicule the overriding media's analysis of this scandal "crisis" as the consequence of many "bad apples" [...]
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.
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.
Three major themes discussed in the paper are China as the world's factory, the cost of labor, and the employees' devotion to their place of employment.
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 [...]
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 [...]
A robust private sector orientation is one of the strengths of the US healthcare system. There are quite a number of aspects in the Cuban healthcare system that the US healthcare ought to adopt.
The main task of this paper is to analyze the methods of testing provided by the Battle of the Brains: The Case for Multiple Intelligences and decide which participant can be considered as the smartest [...]
In her 2009 documentary, Scarl provides the general audience with a glimpse of the world of deaf entertainers, thus helping shed light on the life and struggles of the broader deaf community.
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 [...]
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 [...]
The diamond trade is featured as a major setback in realization of peace and stability in poor nations. The film is commendable due to its distinctive focus on the diamond trade and other infamous events.
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.
For instance, the film contributes to the discussion of healthy cooking and salads, as it advocates that healthier meals are the ones that contain no animal-based products or processed foods.
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.
Commanding Heights: The Battle for the world Economy is a three-episode documentary from PBS alleging to inform viewers on the world economic history of the 20th century.
The dominant gender role expectations for men and boys in contemporary society are that male persons are supposed to have physical power, dominant behavior, and be sexually active.
Pages: 1
Words: 332
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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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
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.
The crash and the subsequent dismissal from the company catch the main character as well as thousands of others off-guard, completely breaking the rose-tinted lenses and awakening them to the reality of working in Enron.
It becomes evident that Susan has to be taken to a hospital, but chaos is created due to the miscommunications between the different parties such as the fellow passengers, the villagers, the local authorities, and [...]
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.
One of the reasons why Native women account for a disproportionately large share of missing people in Western Canada, is that as compared to what it happened to be the case with Whites and the [...]
He is interviewed on his way to the station by Astra Taylor who is the director of the film. He is intriguing in his thoughts about philosophy and life.
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 [...]
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
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In addition, the author explores a number of aspects in relation to the creation of the film. It is important to look past the intentions of the producers and into the major issues addressed in [...]
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 [...]
The content of the documentary is proof that the Judiciary is a political playfield for the Democratic and the Republican parties as they struggle for control.
As the episode unfolds, we are introduced to the advent of the internet and other forms of technology which over time have led to the linking of the world in simple networks.
The patients featured in the film present the excruciating pains and frustrations the patients without insurance covers face in American public hospitals.
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.
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.
According to the documentary, exhumed gladiators from Ephesus and the claim that they were vegan are baseless on the findings of a single research project.
The "strengths of this theory make it effective towards describing the behaviors of many individuals in the society". Many individuals engage in criminal activities due to lack of the required resources.
The analysis of the position of the American government according to the military conflicts round the world and the level of participation in them of the national troops can support the idea that the American [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
The central assumption of this study is that the work of director Ava Duvernay had the primary purpose of drawing public attention to the problem of modern slavery in the United States of America.
Firstly the question of the awful performance of the government in dealing with the disaster and sufferings of people, and secondly the state sponsored ignorance of the masses who were made to suffer the horrifying [...]
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 [...]
The film then traces the lives of the subjects from the bushveldt, where those on the high social class live, to the townships, where the black children live.
In "Thin Blue Line," Morris turns his attention to the wrongful conviction of Texan Randall Adams, who was arrested and prosecuted for the murder of a police officer instead of the actual murderer.
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 [...]
The overall essence of the film can be characterized as musically and visually complex due to the combination of seemingly separate worlds: Ra's deep philosophical monologues and the Arkestra's banter about Ra and his contribution [...]
The company has been criticized for a long time by the ecological organizations and opponents of GMOs; in 2013, 2014 and 2015 the waves of protest against the company spread across the world.
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.
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.
The 2012 Canadian film Stories We Tell is perceived to be the absolute truth and reality behind the family history of the writer and director Sarah Polley.
It is important to note that the subject of exploring and learning about the experiences of African American and Latino drag culture comprised of many members of the LGBTQ+ community is an intricate one.
Housing segregation leads to the extraction of critical resources and wealth that propel social and economic mobility from Black communities, fastening a downward socioeconomic movement.
Pages: 1
Words: 387
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The documentary "Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story" follows the story of Cyntoia Brown, who was accused of killing and stealing from Johnny Allen in 2004.
The documentary represents a detailed analysis of cases of Jacob, DJ, and Jessica intended to highlight the key dangers of prescribing powerful medication to children when treating psychiatric disorders.
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 [...]
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.
In turn, the weakness of this approach is that not much attention was paid to the formal elements of this movie and the techniques that the authors applied.
The major theme of this event revolves around the portrayal of the ideals of socialism and patriotism by the citizens. The film discusses on their daily lifestyles and that of the people around them, a [...]
This work of art is aimed at making people see the beauty of the landscape. The video reveals that the work was really monumental since it comprised the work of so many people and persistence [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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
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In addition, the interview with the mother of an athlete, who was prescribed painkillers and found dead because of overdose, persuades the target audience to think about the opioid crisis.
Nevertheless, it was a discovery to me that over time such areas were subject to gentrification, and white people occupied the former lands of the blacks.
The word Baraka stands for the essence of life or blessing in the Sufi language, and this is one of the most amazing films made, and it has received wide acclaim for its sensitive portrayal [...]
The artificial intelligence is becoming a threat to the existence of humanity since these machines are slowly but steadily replacing the roles of mankind in all spheres of life.
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.
When the film was being produced, Bakan accompanied it with a book named "The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power"."The Corporation" elicited mixed reactions from the stakeholders of globalization when it was released [...]
One of the key actions that can be used to protect and heal communities affected by hate crimes is the investigation of offenders from videos recorded by individuals during such events.
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 [...]
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.
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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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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.
The documentary touched me emotionally with the multiple stories of the people who did not see the reason to live and ended their lives by jumping from the bridge.
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 [...]
The film explores how the rise of mammals reshaped the planet after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. I liked how it showed the different stages of evolution and how the animals adapt to their [...]
Thus, the director intends to advocate for less plastic production by showing the dangers of plastic production and consumption to the environment and human health.
At the beginning of the film, different definitions of the corporation are provided, describing what contributed to their emergence, what made corporations powerful, what device they have, and their impact on people's lives.
The Switch from Hell is a short documentary detailing the tragic consequences of a faulty ignition system that forced the withdrawal of millions of vehicles and caused many fatalities.
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.
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 Age of AIDS" and the "Rise of the Killer Virus" documentaries look at how the disease has spread since the first case was identified in 1981, as well as how researchers trace its origins.
The government used the erroneous notion that Japanese-Americans posed a danger to the country's security to justify the internment. It serves as a poignant reflection of the need to combat inequality and bigotry in its [...]
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 [...]
Documentaries "Before the Flood," "The Story of Stuff," and "Rude Awakening" explore the cultural significance of oil while addressing the need for a transition from fossil fuels.
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.
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.
This essay will assess the functionality, conflict, and interactionist sociological perspectives in the context of the documentary's depiction of the experiences of Spanish-speaking immigrants in the United States.
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.
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.
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
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