by antonia.muszi -

Was ist ein Dokumentarfilm?

Ein Werk, dass die Dokumentarfilmtheorie geprägt hat, ist John Grierson’s “First Principles of Documentary” (1932-34).1 Grierson hat erstmalig das Wort “Documentary” auf Filme übertragen.2 In seinem Text beschreibt er, dass zuerst alle Filme die mit Elementen aus der natürlichen Welt gemacht worden sind, in die Kategorie “Documentary” gefallen sind.3 Die Verwendung von diesen Elementen war die wichtige Unterscheidung.4 Es wurde nicht unterschieden, ob es sich um ein Newsreel, einen Bildungsfilm oder einen wissenschaftlicher Film handelte.5 Laut Grierson gibt es weitere Ebenen zu einem Dokumentarfilm als die Verwendung von Elementen aus der natürlichen Welt.6 Er geht davon aus, dass hinter dem Filmen aus der echten Welt eine neue Kunstform steckt.7 “Documentary would photograph the living scene and the living story.”, so Grierson.8 Des Weiteren geht er von der Annahme aus, dass der wirkliche Protagonist ein:e bessere:r Begleiter:in durch den Film ist als ein:e Schauspieler:in.9 Zusätzlich beschreibt Grierson, dass das Material und die Geschichten, die durch diese Filme entstehen, echter sind und stärker eine Intimität hervorrufen als etwas das geschauspielert wird.10 Außerdem gibt der Dokumentarfilm eine Chance kreativ zu arbeiten.11 Das funktioniert nicht ohne Beeinflussung. “You photograph the natural life, but you also, by your juxtaposition of detail, create an interpretation of it.”12 Was sind die Merkmale, die einem Dokumentarfilm zugeordnet werden.

Merkmale eines Dokumentarfilms

Die Merkmale, die einen Dokumentarfilm ausmachen, können in folgende Kategorien eingeteilt werden: a.) Inhalte und Ideologien, b.) Ziele, Blickwinkel und Herangehensweisen, c.) Formen, d.) Methoden und Techniken sowie e.) das was der Dokumentarfilm den Zuschauenden bietet.13 Teil hiervon sind die Handlungen, die durch den Film hervorgerufen werden.14 

Im Hinblick auf die Inhalte des Dokumentarfilms lässt sich sagen, dass sich der Film seit geraumer Zeit nicht nach der Gefühlslage des Menschen oder seiner zwischenmenschlicher Beziehungen richtet.15 Viel mehr geht es um spezifische, tatsächliche und öffentliche Themen.16 Die gezeigten Probleme, Menschen, Prozesse, Orte und Events sind wahr und zeitgenössisch.17 Spricht man von Zielen, Blickwinkel und Herangehensweisen wird ausgedrückt was die Filmschaffenden mit ihrem Film aussagen wollen.18 Es werden unterschiedliche Phenomena aufgenommen, um das Publikum über diese zu informieren.19 Das kann von Menschen, über Events, bis hin zu Orten, Institutionen und Problemen reichen.20 Die Motivation dahinter ist es, das Publikum zu informieren, ihr Interesse in das Thema zu steigern, Sympathien für die abgebildeten Personen zu steigern sowie zu einer gewissen Handlung anzuregen.21 Die Kategorie “Formen” inkludiert den Entwicklungsprozess des Films, von der Auswahl der Bilder und Sounds bis hin zur künstlerischen Vision und den Strukturen, in die sie passen sollen.22 Ein Dokumentarfilm hat seine Wurzeln immer in der Realität.23 Dabei ist es nicht relevant, ob der Dokumentarfilm ein festgelegtes Skript hat oder spontan aufgenommen wird.24 Dokumentarfilmmacher:innen erfinden keine Inhalte und entwickeln keine Handlung aus ihrer Fantasie.25 Im Unterschied zu Filmemacher:innen, die fiktionale Filme produzieren, verwenden sie keine Charakter-Entwicklung oder Handlungsentwicklung.26 Methoden und Techniken beziehen sich auf die Art wie Bilder und Sounds aufgenommen werden, und wie alles in der Post-Production zusammen kommt.27 Es werden keine Schauspieler:innen sondern “normale” Menschen verwendet.28 Zusätzlich wird direkt vor Ort gefilmt, und meistens nicht im Studio oder auf einem Set.29 Als Licht wird das genützt, das es bereits vor Ort gibt. Außer es braucht zusätzliches Licht, um die Personen ausreichend auszuleuchten.30 Durch Dokumentarfilme erhoffen sich Filmmachende, dass die Zuschauenden ein visuell ansprechendes Erlebnis haben.31 Die Filmmachende wünschen sich zusätzlich, dass ihr Film einen Einfluss auf die Einstellung der Rezipient:innen zu dem behandelten Thema hat.32 Möglicherweise führt das zu einer Handlung auf der Seite der Zuschauenden.33 Diese Kategorien geben einen Überblick darüber, was einen Dokumentarfilm ausmacht.

  1. Vgl. Corner 1996, S. 11. ↩︎
  2. Vgl. Eitzen 1998, S. 13. ↩︎
  3. Vgl. Grierson 1932-34, S. 145. ↩︎
  4. Vgl. Grierson 1932-34, S. 145. ↩︎
  5. Vgl. Grierson 1932-34, S. 145. ↩︎
  6. Vgl. Grierson 1932-34, S. 146. ↩︎
  7. Vgl. Grierson 1932-34, S. 146. ↩︎
  8. Vgl. Grierson 1932-34, S. 147. ↩︎
  9. Vgl. Grierson 1932-34, S. 147. ↩︎
  10. Vgl. Grierson 1932-34, S. 147. ↩︎
  11. Vgl. Grierson 1932-34, S. 147. ↩︎
  12. Vgl. Grierson 1932-34, S. 148. ↩︎
  13. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 1. ↩︎
  14. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 1. ↩︎
  15. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 1. ↩︎
  16. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 2. ↩︎
  17. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 2. ↩︎
  18. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 2. ↩︎
  19. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 2. ↩︎
  20. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 2. ↩︎
  21. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 2. ↩︎
  22. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 3. ↩︎
  23. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 3. ↩︎
  24. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 3. ↩︎
  25. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 3. ↩︎
  26. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 3. ↩︎
  27. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 3. ↩︎
  28. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 3. ↩︎
  29. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 3. ↩︎
  30. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 3. ↩︎
  31. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 4. ↩︎
  32. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 4. ↩︎
  33. Vgl. McLane 2012, S. 4. ↩︎
by antonia.muszi -

Breakdown of Documentaries on Women’s Football – IMPULS #1

Frauenfußball: Der lange Weg zur Akzeptanz (2020)

The documentary by SWR “Frauenfußball: Der lange Weg zur Akzeptanz” is from the year 2020 and it is about the development of women’s soccer throughout time. A very journalistic way of telling a story is being used for this documentary. It gives a good overview on the topic, but fails to go deeper. Due to the many different topics mentioned, none of them is discussed in greater detail. A lot of people are being interviewed in the documentary, which makes it hard to remember who is who. I would have focused on a few important stories as well as a few relevant people. I believe the film makers wanted to include as much as possible, and it backfired. Since many recordings were shown and there was hardly any film material that was self made. Due to that the documentary has not helped me a lot with my sports documentary. Seeing as I am trying to find good transitions, camera angles, ideas for b-roll shots, ideas for post production, inspiration for sound design and many more. For transitions a glitch was used most of the time, which I will not do. I did get an idea for a b-roll shot, which is filming the grand stand at a rather low angle.

The documentary did raise a question, which is whether I am going to have a lot of shots on goal? I should definitely keep in mind that it is important to have many shots, because they are exciting for the viewer. It should also not be overpowering because it was really noticeable in this documentary. Furthermore, the documentary raised another question which is, whether I will have a narrator for my documentary or not? I have always imagined that the interviews I will conduct will be enough to tell a story. When there is a narrator, he or she can function as a guide throughout the story. Which could also help bring the story together as one. It is something to think about.

To the documentary

Mehr als 90 Minuten presented by Allianz (2024)

The documentary series “Mehr als 90 Minuten presented by Allianz” is from this year by Björn Lentföhr and it is about the women’s football team FC Bayern Munich. This episode is mostly about the player Georgia Stanway and the football club’s match against VfL Wolfsburg. Other players are also interviewed throughout the documentary. The interviews take place at different locations but most of the time the players are sitting on a couch. Some players are also interviewed on the benches in the changing rooms. That is the location, I would like to interview the players in for my documentary. In the documentary there are jerseys hanging in the background. Of course it is due to marketing reasons but it might be a good idea if the changing room is too bland otherwise. In the beginning of the documentary, there are fast shots shown that give an idea what is to come in the documentary, a foreshadowing in a sense. I like that a lot, and I am thinking about doing the same for my documentary. It builds suspense and makes the viewer excited for the rest of the film.

This documentary has inspired me concerning b-roll shots, interview questions, sound design and colour grading. I also like the overall atmosphere it brings about. There is great camera framing in the interview of the trainer, as you can see here:


There are a couple b-roll shots, I will also use in my documentary:

  • b-roll shots of players running towards the camera
  • b-roll shots of players talking to each other in the changing room
  • b-roll shots of a player from the back holding the ball
  • b-roll shots from a player putting the ball on the penalty spot.


There is also a shot of the stadium from afar. This shot has a great impact on the viewer because stadiums look impressive from the top or the side. It would be great if I were allowed to fly a drone up the stadium of the football club I am going to film. I should ask the people in charge about that. 


While watching, a few interview questions came to mind: 

  • What were you like as a child?
  • What is football about for you?
  • Who is your role model?
  • What have you always struggled with?
  • How are you getting along with the other players?


In the documentary, there was slow motion used from time to time to emphasise certain events and increase suspense. This is a useful tool, I will remember during the post production of my own documentary. The sound design is rather classical for a sports documentary I would say, with these almost theatrical elements, when the music builds up and up and up. I enjoy it a lot and it definitely works for this documentary. The colour grading is really strong by empathising the colours green and cyan and I will come back to it when colour grading.

To the documentary

Born for this: Licht und Schatten (2023)


I also watched “Born for this: Licht und Schatten” from 2023 by ZDF which is a documentary series about the women’s football national team of Germany.

A few things I could take away from it:

  • Colour grading: brings out the colour cyan
  • Shots: b-roll shot of the team bringing their fists together and throwing them in the air
  • Effects: Zoom effect in minute 10:51

*only available in Germany or with VPN

To the documentary
by helene.goedl -

IMPULSE #1 | Film: “Notebook on Cities and Clothes”

About the Film

In his 1989 film “Notebook on Cities and Clothes”, Wim Wenders documents Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto’s journey through developing a collection for a fashion show in Paris. Although Wenders previously expressed a disinterest in fashion, he accepted the commission to create a film on Yamamoto when he was approached by the Centre Pompidou in Paris for the production.
In the film, Wenders intercuts interviews with Yamamoto with documentary scenes shot in his atelier while he develops a collection with his team. In the process, Wenders finds appreciation and understanding for the process of fashion design by finding parallels to his own creative practice. Wenders labels this project as a “diary film”, shooting primarily without a team and filming most of the material himself.1 

About his approach to fashion before making the project, Wenders says in his voiceover in the film: “The world of fashion… I am interested in the world, not in fashion. But maybe my judgement was premature. Why shouldn’t I try to approach the topic without prejudices. Why not look at fashion like any other industry, the film industry for example?”

“Filmmaking…should sometimes just be a way of life. Like going for a walk, reading a newspaper, writing something down, driving a car, or making this film. From day to day it writes itself, driven by the curiosity for the topic.2

About Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto was born on the 3rd of October 1943. He is among the most notable modern Japanese fashion designers. Yamamoto is based in Tokyo and Paris. Noted as a masterful tailor, his brand identity is marked by his avant-garde tailoring which also incorporates Japanese design aesthetics.3

Why is this Film an Impulse for my Thesis?

In the course of my research, it is becoming more and more clear that my thesis will deal at least in part with an exploration of the material component of fashion and clothing, the role materiality plays in our relationship to clothing and the challenges this poses for extending the fashion design discipline into the digital world. 

In the film, director Wim Wenders mentions his starting point for his exploration into the world of fashion design – a jacked he owned that gave him a special feeling when he wore it. The piece was by Yohji Yamamoto.2 This is an example for the importance of materiality in fashion design, especially in how the wearer builds a relationship to garments. 

Wenders and Yamamoto connect over the famous August Sander photo documentary work “People of the 20th Century” in which Sander “documented” everyday people in their environments through portraits (The word “documented” is in quotations because we know today that some of the images were staged by Sander and are not truthful to the real circumstances of the portrayed people). While Wenders admires it as an iconic work of photography, Yamamoto is fascinated by the clothes and demeanour of the portrayed people. Yamamoto appreciates how clothes back in that time reflected and communicated a lot more about a persons circumstances in life.2
This can be seen as positive or negative. Clothing as a tool of social stigmatisation is also a common occurrence throughout history. 


Personal Key Moments from the Film: 

  • Digital craftsmanship – Wim Wenders interjects the elaborations of Yamamoto on Sander’s work by questioning the value of digital craftsmanship in comparison to classical craftsmanship. Especially connected to the people depicted in Sander’s portraits. Wenders essentially questions whether digital processes will ever be able to compare to the value of physical craftsmanship.
From: Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989).
  • Craftsmen’s morals – “[…] in short, to find the essence of a thing through the process of fabricating it”.2 – Another instance of an argument in favour of the importance of physical process. 
From: Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989).
  • Designing time – Yamamoto postulates that if he could design anything, it would be time. He says some materials are alive, they age and the true finished garment is a product of time.2 Here, we see another component of the analog fashion’s life cycle that cannot be translated into digital space. Or does digital fashion have the ability to age? What would digital aging look like? Will digital fashion age through outdated formats, low resolution, outdated shading and 3D modelling conventions?
From: Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989).
  • Importance of collaboration – fashion as a collaborative art form is brought up in the final scenes of the film. Yamamoto and his team come together to review the collection shown at Paris fashion week and celebrate. Wenders acknowledges the importance of each of their contributions – does this collaboration get lost in the digital fashion design process?

1“Notebook on Cities and Clothes | Wim Wenders Stiftung.”
2 Notebook on Cities and Clothes.
3 Wikipedia contributors, “Yohji Yamamoto.”

Bibliography:

“Notebook on Cities and Clothes | Wim Wenders Stiftung,” n.d., https://wimwendersstiftung.de/en/film/notebook-on-cities-and-clothes/.

Notebook on Cities and Clothes. 35mm Color, 1989. https://www.primevideo.com/detail/amzn1.dv.gti.52af787f-a727-4c08-92cd-19e1ac0a8357.

Wikipedia contributors. “Yohji Yamamoto.” Wikipedia, November 5, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yohji_Yamamoto.

by antonia.muszi -

Nature Film Director – Loui Psihoyos

Loui Psihoyos is an American photographer and documentary filmmaker, best known for his work on environmental and conservation issues.

Some facts about him:

  1. Early Life: Psihoyos was born in Dubuque, Iowa, on February 23, 1957. He grew up with a passion for photography and nature, which would later shape his career.
  2. Photography Career: Psihoyos began his career as a still photographer, working for notable publications such as National Geographic and Smithsonian. His work often focused on nature, wildlife, and environmental issues.
  3. Documentary Filmmaking: Psihoyos transitioned into filmmaking, using his visual storytelling skills to shed light on pressing environmental issues. His most famous work is the documentary film „The Cove.“
  4. The Cove: „The Cove“ (2009) is a documentary, which exposes the annual dolphin hunt that takes place in Taiji, Japan. The film follows activists, including former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry, as they uncover and attempt to expose the brutal practices of the dolphin hunting industry. „The Cove“ won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2010.
  5. Impact: „The Cove“ had a significant impact, raising awareness about the issue of dolphin hunting and sparking international outrage. It led to increased scrutiny of the practice and efforts to halt it.
  6. Other Projects: In addition to „The Cove,“ Psihoyos has been involved in other documentary projects focused on environmental themes. For example, he directed „Racing Extinction“ (2015), which addresses the ongoing mass extinction of species due to human activity. His most recent project is the Netflix documentary „You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment“ (2024).
  7. Environmental Activism: Psihoyos is actively involved in environmental activism and uses his films as a platform to advocate for conservation and sustainability.
  8. Organization: Psihoyos is a co-founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues through film, photography, and other forms of media.

Louie Psihoyos is a prominent figure in the world of environmental documentary filmmaking, using his skills as a photographer and filmmaker to raise awareness and inspire action on pressing conservation issues. A role model for sure.

by antonia.muszi -

You are what you eat: A Twin Experiment

Documentary Review

It is a documentary by director Louie Psihoyos, that follows a scientific experiment evolving around nutrition. It is based on an 8-week study conducted by Stanford University that put 22 sets of genetically identical twins on opposing (but healthy) diets: omnivore and vegan. It was released on January 1, 2024 on Netflix. Of the 22 sets of twins, the series focused on four pairs: Carolyn and Rosalyn, Pam and Wendy, John and Jevon as well as Michael and Charlie.

Why did the twins, the documentary focused on, participate and what were the outcomes for them?

Carolyn and Rosalyn participated in the study with the goal of „increasing Filipino representation in scientific studies“. After the study, both returned to an omnivorous diet but now include more plant-based meals. Pam (vegan) and Wendy (omnivore) are chefs who run a catering company. After the study, they returned to an omnivorous diet but reduced their intake of meat and cheese. John (vegan) and Jevon (omnivore) are nursing students who also like to work out. After the study, they both returned to an omnivorous diet but cut out most red meat from their diet. Michael (omnivore) and Charlie (vegan) own a cheese business and are known as „The Cheese Twins.“ Prior to the study, Michael was a pescetarian, and Charlie an omnivore. After the study, Michael became a vegetarian, and Charlie now follows a mostly vegetarian diet [You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment, Wikipedia].

What did I think of the documentary?

I thought it was a great documentary. I have watched many documentaries, and also a lot produced by Netflix. This one was one of the best. The study was very well followed, and it was hardly manipulated for the viewer. They did not show all the outcomes, and probably showed the ones working towards their agenda. But I really liked the different journeys, the documentary took me one. From the mayor of New York, a Michelin Chef to a family, living next to large pig farms. They touched based with many topics, and I learned a lot. Even though my knowledge level in these areas was already rather high. Especially the part about the salmon farms was new to me. Also that there are different types of fats in the body, which are more or less dangerous, was news to me. The only critic I have is that it is very focused on showing minorities. It does seem to have an Agenda in that regard, but I thought it was not a problem.

Apart from the informational value, the documentary had nice aesthetics. Especially the food was nicely filmed. It reminded me of Chef’s table even.

The overall experience was great, and I would recommend watching it. It was also not too preachy, which I liked. It is definitely for everyone.

Also great:

  • Cowspiracy
  • Fantastic Fungi
  • Somebody Feed Phil
  • Salt Fat Acid Heat
  • The College Admission Scandal