Prior to this lesson, I was under the impression that documentaries were BORING, mundane portrayals of a topic I most likely knew nothing about. The concept of a documentary was not appealing to me whatsoever, I felt like they were too academic to be consumed as a form of entertainment. This idea completely changed after seeing "Exit Through the Gift Shop" a street art documentary directed by Banksy himself.
"Exit Through the Gift Shop" gave me a new perspective on what a documentary can be if given the proper resources to do so. The film challenges the traditional view of documentary filmmaking by using unconventional production techniques and blurring the lines between fiction and reality. Unlike a purely academic or informational documentary, "Exit Through the Gift Shop" uses a highly engaging visual style typical of street art culture, using quick cuts, raw footage and an energetic soundtrack. The initial footage, captured by the amateur documentarian Thierry Guetta, has an unpolished, hand-held camera aesthetic, lending an immediate sense of authenticity and immersion into the underground art world. This aesthetic contrasts sharply with the later, more polished segments, which reflects not only Thierry's own transition into MBW but also the shift in direction of the film once Banksy took over. "Exit Through the Gift Shop" is the perfect example of how even documentaries can exceed creative expectations.
The other production we viewed, American Promise, was definitely closer to my understanding of what a documentary is, although it was really enjoyable to go through since we would stop and discuss as a class frequently. The depiction of the 2 subjects' lives was extremely representative and ecologically valid, as not only were certain ethical issues no longer applicable, the environment in which the subjects were placed was reflective of modern societies view on young African Americans.
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