> We've spent alot of time with Riefenstahl. Shown both OLIMPIADE's...POWER OF > THE WILL>>>etc. The documentary about her is long, but somewhat interesting > as well as her recently published autobiography. > RWBrandis As for traditional "film" documentaries: Dealing with the same era and beyond, I might recommend MARLENE -- interesting to show what you can do with somewhat limited material and an unwilling subject. I've seen no one mention SALESMAN, a late 60's documentary about a travelling salesman; films by LES BLANK (including BURDEN OF DREAMS, which surpasses "Hearts of Darkness" in many respects in showing the creative film process); or my personal favorite, SHERMAN'S MARCH. I've seen some mention of MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA; but I would have to point out that there is a difference between experimental and documentary film. MWAMC might fit into either category, but doesn't follow a more "traditional" narrative style. (ATOMIC CAFE might be one that could be classified as a narrative documentary with experimental traits.) On the other hand, I'm disturbed that there's a concentration on the "big budget", more popular-oriented works in the lists I've seen posted here. Video -- a medium that is revolutionizing the documentary form by providing tools of expression to minority or localized groups at a small cost -- is being ignored by Academia for the most part. The "classic" documentary of this generation won't be shot on 16mm or 35mm, but probably on VHS, Hi-8, or DV (when it becomes available). What about laserdisk or CD-ROM "documentaries"? Prelinger's interactive "You Can't Get There From Here", available on laserdisk from Voyager, is a prime example of how an audio/visual presentation medium can be used to explore the history of a topic. The "Sound in Motion" CD-ROM that is based on the 16mm documentary about contemporary poetry might also be interesting to explore as well. I would have to ask -- what are you teaching _about_ the documentary form? It's history? Social impact? Technological development? Style? All of the above? There's a wealth of material out there and narrowing down the focus would certainly help students get a handle on documentaries. Inclusion of expansions (ie, video, CD-ROM, interactive laserdisk) on the form (film) can provide students with a look towards the future of the documentary and it's potential for telling a story or sending a message to the viewer. RAND --Randy A. Riddle -- [log in to unmask] -- --http://www.infi.net/~rriddle -- Aspiring Documentary Filmmaker, --sometimes writer for "The Front Page", and general all around squeaky wheel. --Cool Cat Daddy Productions --Winston-Salem, NC, -- (910) 777-0675 ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]