Encyclopedia Of Documentary Film

In this encyclopedia covering the history of documentary film from around the world, Aitken (De Montfort U., UK, and Hong Kong Baptist U.) presents 256 entries on individual movies and 290 entries on specific individuals. These entries range from short, 500-word treatments to much longer discussion of the more important films and filmmakers, such as Nanook of the North and Dziga Vertov. Those dealing with individual films include standard production information. Entries also discuss some 57 production companies, organizations, festivals and institutions. The remaining 112 entries cover the documentary film traditions of various countries and regions, as well as thematic topics and theoretical issues. These latter are generally significantly longer and range from 2000 to 5000 words. All entries conclude with guides to further reading. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)