It's an older text, but Bill Nichols' IDEOLOGY AND THE IMAGE had a useful section on ethnographic film and the context of the book as a whole might be helpful to your student.

Don Larsson
___________________________________________________
"Only connect!"   --E.M. Forster

Donald F. Larsson, Professor
English Department, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Mail: 230 Armstrong Hall, Minnesota State University
        Mankato, MN  56001
Office Phone: 507-389-2368
________________________________________
From: Film and TV Studies Discussion List [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Frank, Michael [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 11:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [SCREEN-L] query on documentary

i have a student who wants to do an extended term paper on "documentary and representation" -- a topic about which i know precious little since all my work is on fiction film . . . i'm wondering if anyone on the list can direct me to some useful introductions to the topic or explorations of it accessible to a general reader



i should point out that my student, although very bright and dedicated, is studying business -- and is taking my cinema class simply to satisfy a requirement -- which means that she has no background in these areas, or even in the conventions of liberal arts inquiry . . . so i'm hoping for something that, while not dumbing down a complex topic, is written so that with effort  beginners can make sense of it



thanks in advance for suggestions



mike

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