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.
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
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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" [...]
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 [...]
The patients featured in the film present the excruciating pains and frustrations the patients without insurance covers face in American public hospitals.
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.
Shot in Lagos, Nigeria, at the peak of Kuti's career, the film contains a series of heartfelt, sincere, and courageous interviews with the pioneer of the Afrobeat genre.
"Clive Wearing Living Without Memory" is a documentary that explains Clive's life and his struggle with a memory that cannot last for more than a few seconds.
After the Mayflower: We Shall Remain is a documentary that reveals the population's life with the colonists. It was important for the culture to get in contact with the colonizers so that they could help [...]
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.
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.
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.
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.
I think that the development of Scientific Racism and further Eugenics became the result of people's attempts to justify their unethical behavior toward other individuals and to support their material goals to develop slavery, and [...]
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 [...]
The fact that they are comfortable and proud of their big size is amazing and leaves a considerable number of people to wonder what is there in fatness that the women should be proud of.
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 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.
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.
This is illustrated in the PBS documentary "The Spirit of Crazy Horse," in which the Indian tribe forgets its cultural customs, as evident when the young Indian activists return to the reservation to learn about [...]
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.
The film was developed between 2007 and 2009 with the aim of exposing the negative aspects of commercialization and mechanization of the American food production industry.
The director and the writer of the movie pride in a deep understanding of the Chinese history as they give an almost accurate recount of the events that unfolded in China between 1911 and 1949.
On the one hand, it seems that the author rejects the notion of formal independence as he sees no sense in the so-called peaceful means; on the other hand, his assumption that intimidation and extreme [...]
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 thesis of the movie correlates with the idea that being neurotypical does not necessarily imply being the standard that each individual is to strive for.
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.
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.
The documentary film In the Age of AI by Frontline provides answers to these questions and talks about the prospect of retaining jobs and professions, the development of technology, rivalry between China and the United [...]
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 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 [...]
While considering the documentary project from the perspective of the Contact theory, children's constant communication and interaction will allow them to understand and reassess different outlooks on the situation and define new course of action.
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 [...]
The intention involves showcasing life in the prisons as a deterrent to ensure the juveniles do not commit further crimes. The juveniles, such as Ben, admit that life in prison is scary and would have [...]
The first episode if the documentary series "Unnatural Causes" discusses the modern system of healthcare in the United States and the causes of health inequalities between different groups of the population.
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.
IN order to document the spread of the plague, a number of different maps and graphs are used, allowing the creators to showcase the spread of the plague throughout Europe.
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.
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.
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.
Psychological aspects of sex, including culture-specific sexual scripts and the influence of one's individual imagination and imposed sexual stereotypes in the media, are also explored.
The documentary Mickey Mouse Goes to Haiti by the National Labor Committee explores this subject and reveals the unethical working conditions of the Walt Disney Company's garment factories in Haiti.
First, the issue in question is in direct relation to the welfare of the entire planet's population, and the film makes a convincing case that there are reasons to worry. In the end, I believe [...]
However, the biggest portion of The Story of Content: Rise of the New Marketing is dedicated to the story of Marcus Sheridan a legend in the world of content marketing.
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.
Having invited many participants and witnesses to star in the movie and having included numerous original recordings of the events that happened in 1961, Nelson became able to create a profoundly impressive account of one [...]
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.
The candidates had to perform three tasks, and at the end of the presentation the students were given the responsibility to choose the next class monitor.
The film about Jero, the Balinese medium, is designed to document her professional performance, catch the details of the ritual on tape and present it from the anthropological point of view, the filmmakers do not [...]
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.
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 [...]
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 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.
Through the interaction between the director, McNamara, and a series of events like numerous phone calls during the interview describing events during the war, the audience is able to get a clear view of the [...]
The events that led to the arrest were faulty since they did not involve the establishment of substantial evidence that the three were guilty of the crime.
The sixty-minute documentary produced by historian Tristan Hunt unravels the influence of Calvinism, Puritanism, and the Industrial Revolution on the current global order that is dominated by capitalism.
I can compare A Thousand Roads to a dart thrown into the bullseye because the film achieved its two goals with surgical precision. Given the short yet meaningful form of A Thousand Roads, I composed [...]
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.
This shift to agriculture and grazing and the establishment of permanent settlements contributed to the emergence of the world's first human civilization.
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 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.
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.
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 [...]
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.
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 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 [...]
The reason for this is apparent the deployment of such an approach will naturally prompt the audience to think of what is being discussed as such that directly relates to what happened to be their [...]
The livelihoods of the members of Elwha Klallam tribe, who were not officially considered the US citizens until the late 1920s, were destroyed by a flood that followed the construction of the dam.
In the film, it is noted that people who decided to devote their lives to the practice of yoga would leave their homes, "abandon the conventional life" and the "householder stage" to "wander around in [...]
To assure the existence of the social and historical support, the movie is presented in the form of the documentary and can be viewed by an extended audience to spread awareness about the drawbacks of [...]
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.
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 [...]
During the event, the police force fails to turn up in time, a situation that gives the street children a good opportunity to harass and steal from the passengers.
The movie further argued that the invasion's real goal was to prevent the retrocession of the Panama Canal Zone to Panama, as stipulated in the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which was set to occur at the time.
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 [...]
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.
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 primary aspect which was noteworthy for me is the existing problem in the economics field of women labor's unproductivity. Waring presents an interesting perspective on the effects of economics on social prosperity.
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 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.
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 documentary "Devil's Playground" by Walker, released in 2002, depicts the aspects of a micro culture and the internal wishes of the teenagers of this micro culture to break free of the Amish society 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 [...]
However, the number of workplaces is almost the same; it means that the employer has a lot of choices, the demand for the worker's decreases as well as the price for labor.
The historic and exotic city is positioned strategically north of the large Niger River on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. The text written in the margins was added after the original text of [...]
The film begins with the off-screen narrator telling the audience that throughout the sixties, the University of California remained at the forefront of people's struggle to be in the position to take full advantage of [...]
The film aims to analyze the relation of the IMF to the process of globalization. The process of globalization and the cooperation of the countries with the IMF are affecting the countries of the third [...]
The documentary film NOVA: Battle of the X-Planes throws light on the functioning of the aircraft industry. In particular, much attention is paid to the cooperation of companies representing this industry with military agencies, especially [...]
The film is commendable due to its appeal in overcoming racial barriers of prejudice, racism, and stereotype projected against African-American by proving that blacks are equally capable to the whites. The cultural differences and ways [...]
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 [...]
The third and last part of the film was released in 1998."The Decline of Western Civilization" is a documentary film that focuses on the evolution of the punk rock music genre as it changes from [...]
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 [...]
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