A film blog for students of my classes at Santa Clara University. Use this blog to discuss the films we are studying, classic films, current releases or production issues you encounter while making your own films.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Dear White People, documentary class post
In what ways could Dear White People be consider a documentary? Or should it not be considered as such?
11 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I don't think Dear White People should be considered a documentary. If anything, I feel like it could be labeled as a film "inspired by true events." The film tackles real issues that individuals face regularly on real college campuses but I think a documentary would have explored the complexity of such events in a deeper way without adding in other plot points necessary to the progression of a fiction film. I do, however, like how the ending credits featured real stories about racism on college campuses (more specifically through themed parties) to show audiences that while many of the elements in the film (characters, school, etc.) are fictional, the subject matter is not.
"Dear White People" is a documentary in the sense that it depicts real life situations and tells an interesting story to the audience. However, the film lacked footage from other sources, interviews, and has absolutely no involvement with the filmmaker. I feel that documentaries provide multiple resources to prove a point and persuade the audience. It's a retelling of a story. This film did provide a voice and a perspective in order to influence how the audience perceives racism on college campuses, but I felt that it was more of a fictional film that reiterates discrimination against race in society.
I do not think that "Dear White People" should be considered a documentary. Although it brings up many real life situations and problems that some people go through, this film was done with actors and is seen as a comedy as well. There may be some parts to the story that are true or that have happened, but it was not backed up by personal interviews or personal stories about situations that occurred.
Though "Dear White People" has a strong voice and is based on reality, the film is not a documentary. Yes, it "depicts real life situations"-- but it is not a true story. There was a strong relationship with society and recent events happening in the U.S., but there were no real-life interviews or events. There was a brilliant screenwriter and talented actors reading a script.
I definitely do not think Dear White People should be considered a documentary. All the characters, locations, settings are controlled and created, not just captured in the moment. Although the film draws from real life experiences to comment on racism in today's society, it does so by channeling the issue into fictive characters and a fictive world. This makes Dear White People a fiction film rather than a documentary.
While I can understand why someone might think Dear White People could be a documentary, it's only because the story of minorities being affected by racism on college campus's is very real and ongoing happening. Even the characters are detailed and developed enough to be real people going through these struggles, but in the end this is not at all a documentary, just a very relatable and realistic film. A documentary would require real footage and interviews of people experiencing racism in a real place, but this film instead takes very real circumstances and turns it into a fictional story.
While watching the film, as it first started, I thought for a moment that it could be a documnentary. However, as the narrator (the radio show host) introduced the characters it looked more cinematic than a documentary. The shots were just too perfect and rehearsed, and I've never heard of Winchester University. However, the film does a good job of pretending to be a documentary. The plot includes multiple characters with their own stories and the camera seems to just observe the events as they happen. In the end, like others on this thread have said, the film would have needed to be a direct reinactment of true events or had interviews with real people affected by the issues discussed in the film. It is a very interesitng way to convery a story. Maybe an observational fiction?
While watching this film, I don't see it as a documentary, but more of a humors film that touches on the subject of racism. The reason why I don't think it should be a documentary is because everything is staged. There are actors, scenes and settings that are controlled to portray what the filmmaker intended. Although I don't think this film fits a category of a documentary, it does a really nice job of depicting real life situations and I agree with others who wrote above that it could be labeled "inspired by true events".
I wouldn't consider Dear White People a documentary, but I would consider it a film about a documentaries. If you think about it, although there are multiple stories in Dear White People, the main character, Sam, documents not only her experiences, but also those of her peers. The film starts out with news reports of outrage of the over the events that took place at their school. Sam and Lionel both document the events that take place to the African American community at their University. Since they document these events, they are able to gain media coverage, hence the beginning of the movie. I think this is what makes the film seem like a documentary, but since it doesn't follow the actual lives of people then I would't categorize it as a documentary.
I would not consider the film Dear White People as a documentary film mainly because the characters depicted are fictional, even if they are loosely based on real people. I can see why it could be considered similar to a documentary because it does have a clear theme concerning modern race relations in the United States and kind of an activist standpoint on it, but that isn't all that makes a documentary a documentary. If the film actually went to one of the colleges shown during the credits, such as Penn State, and interviewed people involved with and affected by one of the themed parties, among other things, then it would be a documentary. However, Dear White People had a script and paid actors, so it is a fictional film by nature.
Though “Dear White People” deals with real issues that black people face today I don’t think it was a documentary due to the fact that there was a script and actors. This film brings to light many realities and was inspired by true events: assimilation, black power, not fitting in, stereotypes ect. I agree with Brennan, it is not a documentary but possibly a observational film due to its reenactment of real events and people.
11 comments:
I don't think Dear White People should be considered a documentary. If anything, I feel like it could be labeled as a film "inspired by true events." The film tackles real issues that individuals face regularly on real college campuses but I think a documentary would have explored the complexity of such events in a deeper way without adding in other plot points necessary to the progression of a fiction film. I do, however, like how the ending credits featured real stories about racism on college campuses (more specifically through themed parties) to show audiences that while many of the elements in the film (characters, school, etc.) are fictional, the subject matter is not.
"Dear White People" is a documentary in the sense that it depicts real life situations and tells an interesting story to the audience. However, the film lacked footage from other sources, interviews, and has absolutely no involvement with the filmmaker. I feel that documentaries provide multiple resources to prove a point and persuade the audience. It's a retelling of a story. This film did provide a voice and a perspective in order to influence how the audience perceives racism on college campuses, but I felt that it was more of a fictional film that reiterates discrimination against race in society.
I do not think that "Dear White People" should be considered a documentary. Although it brings up many real life situations and problems that some people go through, this film was done with actors and is seen as a comedy as well. There may be some parts to the story that are true or that have happened, but it was not backed up by personal interviews or personal stories about situations that occurred.
Though "Dear White People" has a strong voice and is based on reality, the film is not a documentary. Yes, it "depicts real life situations"-- but it is not a true story. There was a strong relationship with society and recent events happening in the U.S., but there were no real-life interviews or events. There was a brilliant screenwriter and talented actors reading a script.
I definitely do not think Dear White People should be considered a documentary. All the characters, locations, settings are controlled and created, not just captured in the moment. Although the film draws from real life experiences to comment on racism in today's society, it does so by channeling the issue into fictive characters and a fictive world. This makes Dear White People a fiction film rather than a documentary.
While I can understand why someone might think Dear White People could be a documentary, it's only because the story of minorities being affected by racism on college campus's is very real and ongoing happening. Even the characters are detailed and developed enough to be real people going through these struggles, but in the end this is not at all a documentary, just a very relatable and realistic film. A documentary would require real footage and interviews of people experiencing racism in a real place, but this film instead takes very real circumstances and turns it into a fictional story.
While watching the film, as it first started, I thought for a moment that it could be a documnentary. However, as the narrator (the radio show host) introduced the characters it looked more cinematic than a documentary. The shots were just too perfect and rehearsed, and I've never heard of Winchester University. However, the film does a good job of pretending to be a documentary. The plot includes multiple characters with their own stories and the camera seems to just observe the events as they happen. In the end, like others on this thread have said, the film would have needed to be a direct reinactment of true events or had interviews with real people affected by the issues discussed in the film. It is a very interesitng way to convery a story. Maybe an observational fiction?
While watching this film, I don't see it as a documentary, but more of a humors film that touches on the subject of racism. The reason why I don't think it should be a documentary is because everything is staged. There are actors, scenes and settings that are controlled to portray what the filmmaker intended. Although I don't think this film fits a category of a documentary, it does a really nice job of depicting real life situations and I agree with others who wrote above that it could be labeled "inspired by true events".
I wouldn't consider Dear White People a documentary, but I would consider it a film about a documentaries. If you think about it, although there are multiple stories in Dear White People, the main character, Sam, documents not only her experiences, but also those of her peers. The film starts out with news reports of outrage of the over the events that took place at their school. Sam and Lionel both document the events that take place to the African American community at their University. Since they document these events, they are able to gain media coverage, hence the beginning of the movie. I think this is what makes the film seem like a documentary, but since it doesn't follow the actual lives of people then I would't categorize it as a documentary.
I would not consider the film Dear White People as a documentary film mainly because the characters depicted are fictional, even if they are loosely based on real people. I can see why it could be considered similar to a documentary because it does have a clear theme concerning modern race relations in the United States and kind of an activist standpoint on it, but that isn't all that makes a documentary a documentary. If the film actually went to one of the colleges shown during the credits, such as Penn State, and interviewed people involved with and affected by one of the themed parties, among other things, then it would be a documentary. However, Dear White People had a script and paid actors, so it is a fictional film by nature.
Though “Dear White People” deals with real issues that black people face today I don’t think it was a documentary due to the fact that there was a script and actors. This film brings to light many realities and was inspired by true events: assimilation, black power, not fitting in, stereotypes ect. I agree with Brennan, it is not a documentary but possibly a observational film due to its reenactment of real events and people.
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