The Power of Documentary Film and Its LitJo Connection

Throughout the semester I encourage you to pay attention to documentary films and how they connect with our subjects and discussions.

How does the work of documentarians intersect with that of print or photojournalists in terms of reporting, writing, revising, and thinking?

We will likely watch a film by Frederick Wiseman, perhaps Titicut Follies.
See www.zipporah.com

We may watch or talk about documentarians Errol Morris http://www.errolmorris.com/or Barbara Kopple. http://www.cabincreekfilms.com/barbara_kopple.html
Morris writes regularly for the NYT webpage.

Also I encourage everyone to find a way to attend the True/False film festival.
See www.truefalse.org

Here is a film I read about recently but have not seen:

http://www.farmingvillethemovie.com/playTrailer.html

Farmingville
Documentary
78 minutes
USA
Premier 2003

Directors Statement

To tell this story, we lived and worked for nearly a year in Farmingville, New York, where we experienced firsthand the tensions in this small Long Island town. Farmingville’s story reflects the challenge facing many communities as the Latino population not only spreads across the nation farther than any previous wave of immigrants, but also bypasses traditional immigrant gateways and heads directly to suburbs and the American heartland.

Crew
Directors: Catherine Tambini and Carlos Sandoval
Producers: Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini
Cinematographers: Catherine Tambini and Karola Ritter
Screenwriter: Carlos Sandoval
Editors: John Bloomgarden and Mary Manhardt
Composer: Steven Schoenberg
Sound Recordists: Peter Miller and John Zecca

Broadcast
PBS: P.O.V. 2004 (Season Opener)
CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation): Passionate Eye, 2004

BH