A story of documentary film

What you will study

This six-week course is structured along these key themes:

Week 1: Introduction: the seeds of documentary in Britain.
You'll be introduced to the great diversity of non-fiction films created in Britain during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and explore the ways in which, even from the earliest days of film, the seeds of the documentary form were being sown. By studying the work of pioneer filmmakers, such as Charles Urban and Mitchell and Kenyon, you'll learn about the use of film for social and educational purposes and other forms of non-fiction, such as newsreel to capture ‘slices of life’.

Week 2: The Documentary Film Movement
This week focuses on John Grierson and the Documentary Film Movement, and how documentary became recognised as a distinct form in the 1930s. We look in-depth at two classic documentaries which bear his imprint – Drifters (1929) and Night Mail (1936). We also consider the experimental film Coal Face (1935), which involved many of the same crew and contributors.

Week 3: Documentary at War
We turn our attention to Britain at war and how documentary filmmakers adjusted, and even flourished, during a period of huge societal upheaval, uncertainty and devastation. Using Humphrey Jennings’ work as a lens to view this unique period of British history and filmmaking, you'll be exploring poetry, propaganda and the people’s war.

Week 4: Independent voices
You'll discover a fracturing in the singular ‘mainstream’ narrative of British documentary that we’ve studied so far. We'll examine a selection of independent or ‘alternative’ films which were not state-funded and which were made outside the framework of the film industry. Uncovering these fascinating and, on occasion, provocative voices will take us back to the 1930s and then to the 1950s, 1970s and 1980s

Week 5: The camera is ours: Britain’s women documentary makers
You’ll consider the often-neglected stories of female filmmakers (the subject of a recent BFI project of the same name). Mary Field, Ruby Grierson and Molly Dineen are this week’s case studies and you will study a rich array of non-fiction films made by women, including natural history, political and campaigning, advertising and educational films.

Week 6: Living in an unreal world: TV and documentary
In the final week we'll consider what the advent of new and different forms of the moving image has meant for the possibilities of documentary making and watching. You'll study five different programme examples that suggest the growing breadth of documentary styles, from the commemoration of partly filmed history in 1964’s The Great War to the presenter-guided approach on human achievements in Civilisation (1969), the experimental sociological observation of Seven Up! (1963) and its sequels, to the ‘fly on the wall’ portrait series The Family (1974) and the quasi-documentary drama enactment of Cathy Come Home (1966).

The additional key film texts you'll study in this course include:

• Rough Sea at Dover (1895)
• A Day in the Life of a Coal Miner (1910)
• Housing Problems (1935)
• The Silent Village (1943)
• Listen to Britain (!946)
• London Me Bharat (1972)
• Women of the Rhondda (1973)
• Handsworth Songs (1986)
• The Heart of the Angel (1989)

The set films are intended to build your knowledge and understanding of this rich and varied tradition in filmmaking, and each week connections are made between what you’ve watched and learnt previously, highlighting the impact of influences and innovators along the way.

This course is also designed to develop your comprehension of the language of film, helping build your confidence when watching and discussing a wide range of moving images, especially in relation to British archive film.

You will learn

• the evolution and development of non-fiction film and documentary filmmaking in Britain from 1895 to the present day
• how documentary film reflected society and how society impacted documentary
• some fundamental principles behind documentary practice, and some of the choices that are available to filmmakers
• film archives and their collections, as well as the work of curators.

• understand and use key concepts and critical vocabulary from film and media studies when engaging with non-fiction and documentary film
• understand the language of film and be confident when discussing moving images
• understand the use of examples, illustrations and case studies when assessing an argument
• reflect on your standpoint and the standpoint of others with respect to the content discussed in the course.

• effectively communicate information accurately and appropriately to the subject, purpose and context
• communicate with and learn from others in an online environment
• use feedback and self-reflection to improve your own learning.

• ability to plan, study and manage a sequence of work that meets a deadline
• understanding of future study opportunities.

Vocational relevance

This course has relevance for those interested in working in film and the media. It teaches skills of visual and critical analysis, self-reflection, time management, and engaging in forums.

Outside the UK

There are no restrictions to studying this course. While you will not be able to access the BFI Player if you are studying outside of the UK, all videos and other assets are embedded in the module materials with full access to all registered students.

Teaching and assessment

Assessment

There's no formal assessment, although there will be three ‘review and reflect’ points built into the course which you'll use to reflect on your understanding.

Regulations