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
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 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 patients featured in the film present the excruciating pains and frustrations the patients without insurance covers face in American public hospitals.
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.
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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.
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 [...]
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 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.
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 [...]
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 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 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 [...]
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.
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 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 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.
The documentary supports the writings about the gender discrimination by illustrating how the vice is perpetuated in the workplace. There are a number of solutions that can be implemented to end gender discrimination in the [...]
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 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 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.
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.
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 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.
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 [...]
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Flood is a phase of the water regime of the river, which is repeated every year at the same time of year, is characterized by the highest water content, increased and prolonged rise and fall [...]
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 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 [...]
Overall, "The T Word" documentary is a powerful call to action, emphasizing the importance of greater recognition, acceptance, and support for transgender people.
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 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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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.
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 [...]
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.
A particularly important point in the film is the last section, which discusses the involvement of the state and its representatives in the activities of corporations.
Following the example of his grandfather, Arthur T ensured that most of the earned profits were reinvested into the business and continued paying the workers well and offering low prices to the customers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 [...]
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.
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 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.
When applying some of Rawls' concepts of justice to the situation described in Merchants of Doubt, it becomes clear that the actions of tobacco companies and such public figures and scientists as Frederick Singer who [...]
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 makers of "The March of the penguins" leave no stone unturned as they film every detail of the journey and they deserve credit for enduring one of the most unforgiving climates on the planet [...]
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.
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.
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 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.
In the given movie, all aspects of Ayurveda are represented through the eyes of a person who relies on conventional medicine. In other words, a patient is forced to believe that the treatment will be [...]
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 [...]
In the analysis, the filmmaker tried to show how the two concepts can be used to the benefit of the company owners but to the detriment of the workers.
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 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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
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.
The title of the film "God Grew Tired of Us" is rather succinctly used by the film maker in order to help audiences understand the plight of the 3 main characters in the movie and [...]
When the Levees Broke truly reveals that Lee was driven by the issues this tragedy addressed and incorporates all of the characteristics that distinguish his film style consciousness, talent, and passion.
Such issues as the definition of family, family structures and roles, influential factors for changing families, and the family of the future are discussed in Beyond the Nuclear Family directed by Suzi Taylor.
The movie title is based on the World War II period when series of movies attempting to explain and justify the reasons behind American going in to war.
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.
Irish Catholics were also the subject of hate propaganda and were viewed as agents of the Vatican and the Pope; hysterical American Protestants used all means to stop the spread of Catholicism in America, and [...]
On the other hand, the sugars which are said to be in almost all McDonald's products, made Spurlock addicted to the food that he ate and made him always coming back for more.5.
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 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 [...]
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.
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.
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.
The Machine That Made Us tells the story of the technology of the printing press that influenced the increasing availability of writing to the world's population-the film's focus is based on the revolutionary changes that [...]
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 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 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.
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.
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