Performing DocumentaryTruth:Re-enactment

GR - Graduate

This course in the history and theory of nonfiction film examines the use of (re-) enactment as a tool in documentary. Although not always explicitly acknowledged, enacting or reenacting scenes has been common in documentary film since its origins. While sometimes serving primarily as illustration of past (or even contemporary) events, in other cases such scenes are "performative" in the sense that they intend to do something either to the subjects or to the audience. We will read work on "performativity" and reenactment in nonfiction film (by Bill Nichols, Jonathan Kahana, Ivone Margulies and others) and also explore some trauma theory literature. When and why is reenactment considered an important or revelatory strategy? What exactly qualifies as "enactment" or "reenactment," and how is it different from docudrama? How can/ should it be ethically framed? Why is it so often used in films that grapple with portrayals of violence and trauma? We will screen earlier films such as The Silent Village (1943), The War Game (1966), scenes from Shoah (1985) and some of the following: S-21: The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine (Cambodia 2003), The Act of Killing (Indonesia 2012), Ghost Hunting (Palestine/Israel 2017) and Four Daughters (Morocco 2023). Filmmakers who regularly use reenactment such as Zacharias Kunuk or Errol Morris may also be studied. Students will be expected to read and report on weekly articles, rewatch films at home, and write an academic research paper. Creative projects are optional/additional. This course is best suited for students with some background in nonfiction and an interest in critical writing.