NSB Film School: Documentary Film [Durham, NC]
**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+
Full Tuition: $200 — Scholarship options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select.
Instructor: Berland | 3 Weeks | Thursdays | January 18 (optional preliminary class on January 11) | 6:00-9:30PM ET | IN PERSON, 719 N. Mangum St., Durham, NC
Join an in-person film study at Night School Bar in Durham for drinks, documentaries, and discussion!
What is a documentary? The answer may seem simple: broadly speaking, it’s a non-fiction film. We might recognize the hallmarks of documentary in unscripted dialogue, “raw” footage, or exclusive interviews. Some documentaries use voiceovers to structure a narrative. Others rely on subtler editing techniques to articulate an argument. In the best cases, documentaries can give us glimpses into experiences that differ from our own. They can move us to action. They can extend our awareness across the world, reach into the expanses of the cosmos, or zoom in on the tiniest of microorganisms. In their attempts to represent the truth, however, documentaries can also, intentionally or unwittingly, lie to us. What kind of information gets included or left out? How does the subjectivity of the documentarian impact the character of their storytelling? Are some documentaries more truthful than others?
In this mini-course, we will meet in person to watch three documentaries, each of which corresponds to one of the “modes” of documentary, as cataloged by film theorist Bill Nichols. We will begin with the expository documentary, I Am Not Your Negro (Raoul Peck), which concerns the life and teachings of James Baldwin. We will then watch and discuss the observational documentary, Honeyland (Stefanov and Kotevska), which follows a rural Macedonian bee farmer whose ancient beekeeping traditions bring her into conflict with a neighboring family. Then, we will conclude with the reflexive documentary, Exit through the Gift Shop (Bansky), which emerges from the relationship between Banksy and an amateur French documentarian named Theirry Guetta. Our conversations will center the economic, sociopolitical, and utopian impulses of documentary films. We will consider the relationships between a documentary’s subjects, filmmakers, and audiences. And, finally, we’ll think about how attempts to represent the past and present aim to alter the future.
Each screening will be preceded by a brief introduction and followed by a discussion of roughly one hour. Optional readings may be provided.
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Sliding Scale: Night School Bar pays instructors and staff a living wage, and your tuition goes toward supporting this practice. Please pick the payment tier that corresponds to your needs, and consider our commitment to fair labor practices when doing so. We will never request or require proof of need, and do not use an income-based sliding scale; we trust you to decide what payment tier is right for you. If you would like additional support deciding or would like to learn more about the practice of using a sliding scale, we recommend this resource from Embracing Equity.
Scholarships: We are currently able to offer three full scholarships per class. Our full scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering, limited to one per student per month.Because our scholarship funding is limited, selecting multiple full scholarships in a single month will result in disenrollment from all classes. If the scholarship tier you need is sold out please email us directly, and we will add you to a waitlist and notify you if additional scholarships become available. Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans and refund policy.