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CNST 421 L01 F09

Submitted by kmennis on Mon, 2009-08-31 08:37.

University of Calgary

Faculty of Communication and Culture

Canadian Studies (CNST) 421 - Lecture 01
Canadian Documentary
Fall 2009
TR 11:00-12:15 SA 129

Instructor:	Brian Rusted
Office Location:	SS-340
Office Phone:	403-220-7766
E-Mail:	rusted@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:	Your website
Office Hours:	Thurs 1:30 - 4:00 or by appointment

Additional Information

Some material presented during this course may contain content that is sexually explicit, emotionally disturbing, or ideologically disruptive. Please feel free to discuss this with the instructor if you have concerns.

Students may find the need to attend and pay for documentaries presented off campus in order to complete some of the assignments for this course.

Course Description

The course explores the contributions of Canadian filmmakers, photographers and writers to the development of documentary genres. Particular emphasis will be given to the history and evolution of films produced by the National Film Board with attention to the work of directors such as Colin Low, Michael Rubbo, Alanis Obomsawin, Bonnie Klein, etc.

Objectives of the Course

To provide an understanding of distinctive, Canadian technological and stylistic contributions to the development of documentary genres.
To provide a research opportunity for understanding the institutional character of Canadian documentary (film, radio, and television especially) that produced government propaganda and social change
To develop critical skills in the analysis of representational strategies that produce realism, cinema veritÃ©, reflexivity, engagement and social change
To provide an opportunity to consider the uses and impacts of documentary practice in contexts of of social action and change.

Textbooks and Readings:

Assigned, weekly readings are from three sources: textbooks, reserve readings from the Library, and online sources.

1. The following textbook is available in the University Bookstore:

Leach, J. and J. Sloniowski, editors. Candid Eyes: Canadian Documentary Film Reader. U of Toronto Press, 2003.

A second text is accessible online through the University's Library:

Nichols, Bill (2001). Introduction to Documentary. Indiana University Press.

2. The following books have been placed on reserve for this course in the Library's Reserve Reading Room. They will be referenced in the course outline according to the author or editors' names:

Aitken, I. (1990). Film and Reform. Routledge.

Druick, Zoe (2007). Projecting Canada. McGill-Queens.

Feldman, S. and J. Nelson (1977). Canadian Film Reader. Peter Martin Associates.

Goffin, J. (1982). Documentary Drama. National Library of Canada.

Grant, B. and J. Sloniowski, eds. (2002). Documenting the Documentary. Wayne State.

Greenhill, P. (1981). So We Can Remember. National Museums of Canada.

Jones, D.B. (1981). Movies and Memoranda. CFI.

King, J. and H. Lidchi. Imaging the Arctic. British Museum Press.

Kuhn, A. and K. McAllister (2007). Locating Memory: Photographic Acts. Berghahn.

Nicholson, H. (2003). Screening Culture: Constructing image and identity. Lexington Books.

Potter, R. (2007). Arctic Spectacles. McGill-Queens.

Renov, M. (1993). Theorizing Documentary. Routledge.

Stott, W. (1986). Documentary Expression and Thirities America. U of Chicago Press.

Waugh, T. (1984). "Show us life!" Toward a History and Aesthetics of the Committed Documentary. Scarecrow Press.

Winston, B. (2008). Claiming the Real II. BFI.

3. Some readings will also be assigned from the following books, available on the internet through the University's Library website:

Coles, Douglas (1985). Captured Heritage: The Scramble for Northwest Coast Artifacts. University of Oklahoma Press.

Evans, Gary (1991). In the National Interest: A Chronicle of the NFB of Canada 1949-1989. University of Toronto Press.

Filewood, Alan D. (1987). Collective Encounters: Documentary Theatre in English Canada. University of Toronto Press.

Garrett-Petts, W.F. and D. Lawrence (2000). PhotoGraphic Encounters: The Edge and Edginess of Reading Prose Pictures and Visual Fictions. University of Alberta Press.

Geller, Peter (2004). Northern Exposures: Photographing and Filming in the Canadian North, 1920-45. University of British Columbia Press.

Hogarth, David (2003). Documentary Television in Canada. McGill-Queen's University Press.

Langford, M. (2003). Suspended Conversations: The afterlife of memory in photographic albums. McGill-Queens.

Stevens, Peter (1993). Brink of Reality: New Canadian Documentary Film and Video. Between the Lines.

Vanstone, Gail (2007). D is for Daring: The Women Behind the Films of Studio D. Sumach Press.

Assignments and Evaluation

The final grade in the course will be based on the completion of three (3) assignments due during the term, and a registrar scheduled final exam. Each of these assignments will be worth 25% of the final grade.

Students must complete three (3) of the following five (5) options as their term work for this course:

1. An in-class presentation that provides a critical introduction to a documentary work(s) presented in class during a particular week. Your presentation will take approximately 5-7 minutes and demonstrate fluency with relevant readings and concepts. A written version of the presentation (with appropriate citation and referencing) will be submitted on the day of the presentation. Sign-up times for this option will be discussed and decided in the first week of class. This assignment will be worth 25% of the final grade.

2. A review of a Canadian documentary. You may choose to review a contemporary work presented locally, broadcast on radio or television, or used in a local (non-theatrical) context. Your review should be explicit about what motivated your choice of topics you write about (audience reaction, structure of the film, qualities of your response, etc.), as well as the criteria you use to critically evaluate the film. The work you choose should be substantial enough to provide scope for the assignment. This assignment will be worth 25% of the final grade, and will be due in class, October 13.

3. A paper on an historic response to or use of a documentary (prior to 1999). Using archival and/or research materials, write an essay that locates a particular film in relation to (for instance), its initial distribution, or use in a particular social context. You may choose to provide some context for appreciating the critical categories operating at that time, or the then current production technology. This assignment will be worth 25% of the final grade, and will be due in class November 10.

4. A paper on the auteurist style of a particular documentary maker. Considering a minimum of two works by a particular maker, discuss aspects that you consider distinctive. Reference should be made to the subject matter, stylistic strategies (camera work, editing, voice, etc.) ethical issues, and so forth. This assignment will be worth 25% of the final grade and will be due in class, December 8.

5. A creative research project that demonstrates your understanding of the research, ethics, and stylistic choices appropriate to a particular medium of documentary work. You may choose to explore theoretical aspects of documentary production and reception through a practical, creative case, or you may choose to undertake a modest documentary project invoking the style and tradition of a particular maker or period. Research ethics approval may be required for this option. The project will be no more than 10 minutes in length and be ready for presentation December 8. The project will be worth 25%.

Each of the above assignments should be approximately 5-7 typed, double- spaced pages with appropriate referencing and academic style for research papers. Please ask if you are unsure.

The final exam will be scheduled by the Registrar - worth 25%. Prior to the end of term, class time will be allocated to discuss the form and content of the questions for the exam.

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: YES

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre. Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

In this class, assignments will be assessed with letter grades that correspond to the University's 4-point scale. In the case of assignments that are scored numerically, you will receive a letter grade based on converting the score of that particular assignment using the grading system of the Faculty of Communication and Culture (revised effective September 2008), provided below. You may receive a grade that falls between two letter grades (for example a 3.5 is the mathematical mid-point between a B+ or 3.3 and an A- or 3.7). In such a case, I reserve the right to scale the grade upwards (for example from a B+) to the next nearest letter grade (an A-).

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines. Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research. For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see

The Faculty of Communication and Culture Research Ethics site: http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/ethics

or the University of Calgary Research Ethics site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/info/undergrad/

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

The course will be organized by the weekly topics listed below. Weekly readings from the text, library reserve, online books, or other online sources are indicated. Films to be screened during the Thursday lecture times are also indicated.

Week 1, September 8 Introduction: Documentary Genres

Readings:

- Leach and Sloniowski, Introduction

- Nichols, Chapter 6 "What types of documentary are there?"

- Rothman, Chapter 1 in Grant and Sloniowski 2002

- Winston, B., "Creative Treatment of Actuality"

Screening (always Thursday unless otherwise noted):

Nanook Revisited (Massot) 55 min 1990 xmv5751401

Week 2, Sept 15 Grierson and Poetic Documentary

Readings:

- Aitken, 1990, chapter 5, "Public Relations, propaganda and documentary film 1900-1939"

- Ellis, Jack "Grierson's Years at the NFB" in Feldman and Nelson.

- Guynn, Chapter 5 in Grant and Sloniowski

Screening:

Night Mail (Grierson) 24 min 1936 xmp0120201

Song of Ceylon (Grierson) 40 min 1943 xmp0120301

Week 3, Sept 22 Unit B and (the end of) Expository Documentary

Readings:

- Richard Hancox in Leach and Sloniowski

- Evans, Gary, Chapters 3 and 4, "The Golden Years" 1991

Screening:

Caribou Hunters (Greenlees/Daly) 18 min 1950 XMP0154601

Corral (Low/Daly) 12 min 1954 xmp0174001

Paul Tomkowicz, Street Railway Switchman 10 min, 1954 XMP0103001

Cattle Ranch (Cote) 21 min 1961 xmp0356301

Week 4, Sept 29 Film Technology

Readings:

- Barry Grant in Leach and Sloniowski

- Seth Feldman in Leach and Sloniowski

- Evans, 1991, chapter 13 "Not with a bang but a whimper"

Screening:

Lonely Boy (Koenig/Kroitor) 27 min 1962 xmv6091101

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen (Brittain) 44 min 1965 xmp0209501

Week 5, Oct 6 Observational Documentary

- Nichols, 2001, chapter 8 "How can we write effectively about documentary?"

- Elder, Bruce, "On the Candid Eye Movement" in Feldman and Nelson

- Hogarth, Chapter 4

- Winston, B. , "Flies in the Soup...Flies on the Wall"

Screening:

Warrendale (King) 100 min 1967 xmp014151

Week 6, Oct 13 Documentary as Drama/ DocumentaryTheatre

Readings:

- Winston, B., "Part III: Documentary as Drama"

- Goffin, Documentary Drama

- Scott, Alec "Reality Bites: Documentary Theatre Fails to Illuminate the Truth" (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/theatre/reality.html)

- Filewood, Collective Encounters

Screenings:

Paper Wheat (Kish) 58 min 1981 xmv60614

Week 7, Oct 20 Challenge for Change and Participation

Readings:

- Jones, Chapter 10, "Challenge for Change", Movies and Memoranda

- Kurchak, Marie, "What Challenge? What Change?" in Feldman and Nelson.

- Watson, Patrick, "Challenge for Change" in Feldman and Nelson.

- Henaut and Kline, Radical Software

- Evans, 1991, Chapter 8 "In Search of a Mission"

- Druick, Projecting Canada, Chapter 6 "New Media..."

Screenings:

Hutterites (Low) 28 min 1963 xmp0023601

Ballad of Crowfoot 10 min 1968 xmp0002501

VTR Rosedale (Chatwin) 31 min 1974 xmv5685801

Week 8, Oct 27 Indigenous and Committed Documentary

Readings:

- Zuzana Pick in Leach and Sloniowski

- Nichols, 2001 chapter 7 "How have documentaries addressed social and political issues?"

- Stewart, Michelle "The Indian Film Crews..." Canadian Journal of Film Studies 16:2, Fall 2007

- Chuck Kleinhans, Chapter 17 in Waugh

- Ruby, Jay (1991). " Speaking For, Speaking About, Speaking With, or Speaking Alongside- An Anthropological and Documentary Dilemma" Visual Anthropology Review Fall 1991 Volume 7 Number 2. (downloaded from: http://astro.temple.edu/~ruby/ruby/speaking.html).

- Burnett, Ron (1995). "Community and Community Media" Misa: The Media Magazine of Southern Africa, No. 4. (http://www.eciad.ca/~rburnett/MisaArt.html)

Screening:

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance (Koenig/Obomsawin) 120 min 1993 xmv6282701

Week 9, Nov 3 Reflexivity and Authority

Readings:

- Jeanette Sloniowski in Leach and Sloniowski

- Joan Nicks, Chapter 18 in Grant and Sloniowski, 2002

- Jones 1996, chapter 4 "Thermometer of Truth"

Screening:

Waiting for Fidel (Rubbo) 58 min 1974 xmp0364401

Week 9b, Nov 10 Documenting Domestic Memory

Readings:

- McAllister, "A Story of Escape", Chapter 4 in Kuhn and MacAllister

- or McAllister (2006) "Photographs of a Japanese Canadian Interment Camp: Mourning Loss and Invoking a Future", Visual Studies, 21(2), pp. 133-156.

- Langford, "Speaking the Album", Chapter 10 in Kuhn and MacAllister

Week 10, Nov 17 Studio D and the Performative

Readings:

- Joan Nicks in Leach and Sloniowski

- Mathew Bernstein in Grant and Sloniowski 2002 (on Moore)

Screening:

Not a Love Story (Klein) 68 min 1981 xmp0301661

Reading:

- Smith, Stephen, "What the hell is radio documentary?" 2001 (http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=101579)

- http://cds.aas.duke.edu/audio/index.html

- http://www.audiodocumentary.org/

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snt35m2fzBw