"Crafting Truth delivers an intelligent and inspiring introduction to documentary studies through an original framework that powerfully attends to the complex politics, aesthetics, ideas, and
forms at the heart of the genre."---Alexandra Juhasz coeditor of F Is for Phony and documentary videomaker
"Crafting Truth addresses all the main issues involved in studying the documentary, cleverly illustrated by recent examples while not forgettg necessary consideration of the canon---a very
valuable account."---Brian Winston author of Claiming the Real II: Documentary: Grierson and Beyond
"A novel and illuminating introduction to key concepts in documentary. The distinctive cast to the book makes it an extremely welcome contribution to the field."---Bill Nichols author of
Engaging Cinema: An Introduction to Film Studies
Although nonfiction film may have captured imaginations, many viewers enter and leave theaters with a naive concept of "reality"--- for them, documentaries are sources of information. But is
truth or reality readily available, easily acquired, or undisputed? Or do documentaries convey illusions of reality? What aesthetic means are used to build these illusions?
Crafting Truth illuminates the ways these films tell their stories; how they use the camera, editing, sound, and performance; what rhetorical devices they employ; and what the theoretical,
practical, and ethical implications of these choices are. Complex documentary concepts are presented through easily accessible language, images, and a discussion of a wide range of films and
videos to encourage new ways of thinking about and seeing nonfiction cinema.
