Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film 3-Volume Set

by Ian Aitken (Editor)

Overview

The Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film is a fully international reference work on the history of the documentary film from the Lumière brothers' Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory (1885) to Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 (2004). This Encyclopedia provides a resource that critically analyzes that history in all its aspects. Not only does this Encyclopedia examine individual films and the careers of individual film makers, it also provides overview articles of national and regional documentary film history. It explains concepts and themes in the study of documentary film, the techniques used in making films, and the institutions that support their production, appreciation, and preservation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135206277
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/18/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	1968
File size:	37 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Ian Aitken

Table of Contents

Board of Advisers, List of Contributors, List of Entries A to Z, Thematic List of Entries, Introduction, Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Index

Editorial Reviews

The documentary has long played an important role in film history, and this new work, edited by Aitken (European Film Theory and Cinema: A Critical Introduction), should help film students understand the genre. More than 200 international scholars contribute to this resource, which boasts approximately 750 signed, cross-referenced, A-to-Z entries on both large- and small-screen documentaries. The entries, which range between 500 and 7000 words in length, are generally well written and informative. The longer articles normally sum up important developments in documentary filmmaking in specific nations, regions, or historical periods, whereas the shorter articles are either biographies of filmmakers or descriptions of individual films. The latter entries focus on the making of the film and its significance to the genre, and all such entries include technical information and short secondary bibliographies. Some black-and-white photos and stills are scattered throughout, but these are relatively few and far in-between for a film reference. Two problems stand out. First, although absolute comprehensiveness is impossible, some better-known documentaries (e.g., Streetwise, Desire) are not mentioned. Second, the index is poorly done. An identical, error-ridden 110-page index concludes each volume, making for 220 unnecessary pages (space that could have been used for a secondary bibliography). A quick spot-check of three index entries ("Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman," "The Adolescents," and "absolute film") found two of them mispaginated. It is also worth noting that Antonia, a 2003 National Film Registry entrant, does not merit a complete article. Bottom Line Despite the poor index, this is a useful resource for all film collections. Recommended for public and academic libraries.-Anthony J. Adam, Prairie View A&M Univ. Lib., Houston Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

'Well-written and informative... This is a useful resource for all film collections. Recommended for public and academic libraries.' - Library Journal

'The film and cultural studies worlds are in dire need of a good encyclopedia of documentary film, and at first glance this three-volume set would seem to fit the bill. Recommended.' - Choice

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