Definition

1. Noun:
   • A factual film or television program: A "documentary film" is a non-fictional motion picture intended to document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record. It presents facts, information, and perspectives about a person, event, social issue, or aspect of the natural world.

Usage

• The term "documentary film" is used to describe a genre of filmmaking focused on factual content and real-life subjects. It is often used in contrast to fictional genres like drama or comedy.
• It can function as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence.
• Example:

Examples

• As a subject:
  • That documentary film about the migration of whales won several awards.
• As an object:
  • We watched a fascinating documentary film on ancient Egyptian history in class today.
• With a prepositional phrase:
  • She is conducting research for a new documentary film on urban architecture.

Advanced Usage

• "To make/shoot a documentary film": This phrase describes the process of creating a documentary.
  • He spent two years in the Arctic making a documentary film about polar bears.
• "Feature-length documentary film": This specifies a documentary that is long enough to be the main film in a cinema program, typically over 40 minutes.
  • Her first feature-length documentary film premiered at the international festival.

Variants and Related Words

• Documentary (noun/adjective): Often used as a shorter form of "documentary film." As an adjective, it describes the style or nature of such a film (e.g., , ).
  • I prefer watching documentaries to action movies.
• Docudrama (noun): A film or television program that dramatizes real events; it blends documentary-style facts with dramatized reenactments. This is a related but distinct genre.
• Documentarian (noun): A person who makes documentary films.
  • The celebrated documentarian interviewed dozens of survivors.

Synonyms

• Non-fiction film: A film that is based on facts and real events.
• Factual program: A general term for TV or film content presenting facts.

Related Phrases

• Cinéma vérité: A style of documentary filmmaking using naturalistic techniques to create a sense of unmediated reality.
• Mockumentary: A fictional film or series that uses the style and conventions of a documentary film for comedic or satirical effect. This is a parody of the form.

Noun

1. a film or TV program presenting the facts about a person or event