Docufiction (or docu-fiction) is the cinematographic combination of

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

and

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying character (arts), individuals, events, or setting (narrative), places that are imagination, imaginary or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent ...

, this term often meaning

narrative film Narrative film, fictional film or fiction film is a motion picture that tells a fictional or fictionalized story, event or narrative. Commercial narrative films with running times of over an hour are often referred to as feature films, or featur ...

. It is a

film genre A film genre is a Genre, stylistic or thematic category for Film, motion pictures based on similarities either in the narrative , narrative elements, aesthetic approach, or the emotional response to the film. Drawing heavily from the theories ...

which attempts to capture reality such as it is (as

direct cinema Direct cinema is a documentary genre that originated between 1958 and 1962—principally in Quebec and the United States—and was developed in France by Jean Rouch. It is a cinematic practice employing lightweight portable filming equipment, han ...

cinéma vérité Cinéma vérité (, , ) is a style of documentary filmmaking developed by Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch, inspired by Dziga Vertov's theory about '' Kino-Pravda''. It combines improvisation with use of the camera to unveil truth or highlight subje ...

) and which simultaneously introduces unreal elements or fictional situations in

narrative A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether non-fictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travel literature, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller ...

in order to strengthen the representation of reality using some kind of

artistic expression Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

. More precisely, it is a documentary mixed with fictional elements, in real time, filmed when the events take place, and in which the main

character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...

or characters—often portrayed by non-professional or amateur actors—are essentially playing themselves, or slightly fictionalized versions of themselves, in a fictionalized scenario. In this sense, docufiction may overlap to an extent with some aspects of the

mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...

format, but the terms are not synonymous. A film genre in expansion, it is adopted by a number of

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...

filmmakers. The

neologism In linguistics, a neologism (; also known as a coinage) is any newly formed word, term, or phrase that has achieved popular or institutional recognition and is becoming accepted into mainstream language. Most definitively, a word can be considered ...

docufiction appeared at the beginning of the 21st century. It is now commonly used in several languages and widely accepted for classification by international film festivals.

Origins

The term involves a way of making films already practiced by such authors as

Robert J. Flaherty Robert Joseph Flaherty, (; February 16, 1884 – July 23, 1951) was an American filmmaker who directed and produced the first commercially successful feature-length documentary film, '' Nanook of the North'' (1922). The film made his reputati ...

, one of the fathers of documentary, and

Jean Rouch Jean Rouch (; 31 May 1917 – 18 February 2004) was a French Filmmaking, filmmaker and anthropologist. He is considered one of the founders of cinéma vérité in France. Rouch's practice as a filmmaker, for over 60 years in Africa, was char ...

, later in the 20th century. Being both

and

, docufiction is a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

genre, raising

ethical Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied e ...

problemsOpen-ended Realities
– article by Luciana Lang a
Latineos
/ref> concerning

truth Truth or verity is the Property (philosophy), property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth, 2005 In everyday language, it is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise cor ...

, since reality may be manipulated and confused with fiction (see

Ethics Ethics is the philosophy, philosophical study of Morality, moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates Normativity, normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches inclu ...

creative non-fiction Creative nonfiction (also known as literary nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, literary journalism or verfabula) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts ...

). In the domain of

visual anthropology Visual anthropology is a subfield of social anthropology that is concerned, in part, with the study and production of ethnography, ethnographic photography, film and, since the mid-1990s, new media. More recently it has been used by historians ...

, the innovating role of Jean Rouch allows one to consider him as the father of a subgenre called

ethnofiction Ethnofiction is a subfield of ethnography which produces works that introduce art, in the form of storytelling, "thick descriptions and conversational narratives", and even first-person autobiographical accounts, into academic works. In addition ...

. This term means:

ethnographic Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

documentary film with natives who play fictional roles. Making them play a role about themselves will help portray reality, which will be reinforced with

imagery Imagery is visual symbolism, or figurative language that evokes a mental image or other kinds of sense impressions, especially in a literary work, but also in other activities such as. Imagery in literature can also be instrumental in conveying ...

. A non-ethnographic

with fictional elements uses the same method and, for the same reasons, may be called docufiction.

Docudrama and mockumentary

In contrast,

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television show, television and feature film, film, which features Drama (film and television), dramatized Historical reenactment, re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of docu ...

is usually a dramatized recreation of factual events in form of a documentary, at a time subsequent to the "real" events it portrays. While ''docudrama'' can be confused with ''docufiction,'' "docudrama" refers specifically to film or other television recreations that dramatize certain events, often with actors. A

is also a film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format, sometimes a recreation of factual events after they took place or a comment on

current events News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. N ...

, typically satirical, comedic or even dramatic. Whereas mockumentaries are usually fully scripted comedies or dramas that merely adopt some aspects of documentary format as a framing device, docufictions are usually not scripted, instead placing the participants in a fictionalized scenario while portraying their own genuine reactions and their own

improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

al dialogue and character development.

First docufictions by country

* 1926:

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

– '' Moana'' by

* 1930:

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

– '' Maria do Mar'' by

José Leitão de Barros José Júlio Marques Leitão de Barros (22 October 1896 – 29 June 1967) was a Portuguese film director and playwright. Career Among his most famous films are '' Maria do Mar'' (1930), the second docufiction after '' Moana'' (1926) by Rob ...

* 1930:

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

- ''

People on Sunday The term "the people" refers to the public or common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. In contrast, a ...

'' by

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German Jewish film director. His career spanned some 40 years, working extensively in the United States and France, as well as in his native country. Though he worked in many genres, he was ...

and Edgar G. Ulmer * 1932:

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

– '' L'or des mers'' by

Jean Epstein Jean Epstein (; 25 March 1897 – 2 April 1953) was a French filmmaker, film theorist, literary critic, and novelist. Although he is remembered today primarily for his adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's '' The Fall of the House of Usher'', he direc ...

* 1948:

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

– ''

La Terra Trema ''La Terra Trema'' (; "The Earth Trembles") is a 1948 Italian neorealist film directed, co-written, and produced by Luchino Visconti. A loose adaptation of the 1881 novel '' I Malavoglia'' by Giovanni Verga, the film documents the economic and p ...

'' by

Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, theatre and opera director, and screenwriter. He was one of the fathers of Italian neorealism, cinematic neorealism, but later ...

* 1952:

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

– ''

Children of Hiroshima is a 1952 Japanese drama film directed by Kaneto Shindō. Plot Takako Ishikawa is a teacher on an island in the inland sea off the coast of post-war Hiroshima. During her summer holiday, she takes the ferry to her hometown Hiroshima to visit th ...

'' by

Kaneto Shindo was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film producer, and writer, who directed 48 films and wrote scripts for 238. His best known films as a director include '' Children of Hiroshima'', '' The Naked Island'', '' Onibaba'', '' Kuroneko'' a ...

* 1963:

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

– ''

Pour la suite du monde ''Pour la suite du monde'' (, "So That the World May Go On", also known as ''Of Whales, the Moon, and Men''; ''For Those Who Will Follow'', and ''The Moontrap'' in English) is a 1963 Canadian documentary film produced by the National Film Board ...

'' (''Of Whales, the Moon and Men'') by

Pierre Perrault Pierre Perrault (29 June 1927 – 23 June 1999) was a Canadian documentary film director with the National Film Board of Canada. Over his 40-year career, he directed 32 films and was one of Canada's most important filmmakers, although he ...

and

Michel Brault Michel Brault, OQ (25 June 1928 – 21 September 2013) was a Canadian cinematographer, cameraman, film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He was a leading figure of Direct Cinema, characteristic of the French branch of the Nationa ...

* 1981:

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

– ''

Trances Robert Rich (born August 23, 1963) is an ambient musician and composer based in California, United States. With a discography spanning over 40 years, he has been called a figure whose sound has greatly influenced today's ambient music, New-age mu ...

'' by

Ahmed El Maânouni Ahmad () is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other English language, English spellings of the name include Ahmed. It is also used as a surname. Etymology The word derives from the root (Ḥ-M-D, ḥ-m-d), f ...

* 1988:

Guiné-Bissau Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is a country in West Africa that covers with an estimated population of 2,026,778. It borders Senegal to its north and Guinea to its southeast. Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kin ...

– ''

Mortu Nega ''Mortu Nega'' (English: ''Death Denied'' or ''Those Whom Death Refused'') is a 1988 historic film by Flora Gomes, a director from Guinea-Bissau. ''Mortu Nega'' was Gomes' first feature-length film and the first film produced in independent Guin ...

'' (Death denied) by

Flora Gomes Flora Gomes is a Bissau-Guinean film director. He was born in Cadique, Guinea-Bissau on 31 December 1949 and after high school in Cuba, he decided to study film at the Instituto Cubano del Arte y la Industria Cinematográficos in Havana. Shot ...

* 1990:

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

– ''

Close-up A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, s ...

'' by

Abbas Kiarostami Abbas Kiarostami ( ; 22 June 1940 – 4 July 2016) was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, poet, photographer, and film producer. An active filmmaker from 1970, Kiarostami had been involved in the production of over forty films, including s ...

* 1991:

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

– '' Zombie and the Ghost Train'' by

Mika Kaurismäki Mika Juhani Kaurismäki (; born 21 September 1955) is a Finnish film director. Early life and education Mika Kaurismäki was born in Orimattila. He is the elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki. After high school, Kaurismäki worked as a painter of ...

* 2002:

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

– '' City of God'' by

Fernando Meirelles Fernando Ferreira Meirelles (; born 9 November 1955) is a Brazilian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for co-directing the film ''City of God (2002 film), City of God'', released in 2002 in Brazil and in 2003 in the Un ...

and

Kátia Lund Kátia Lund (born March 13, 1966) is a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. Her most notable work was as co-director of the film '' City of God''. Early life Lund was born in São Paulo, to American parents who emigrated to Brazil before she ...

* 2005:

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

– ''

Underexposure In photography, exposure is the amount of light per unit area reaching a frame of photographic film or the surface of an electronic image sensor. It is determined by shutter speed, lens f-number, and scene luminance. Exposure is measured in units ...

'' by Oday Rasheed

Other notable examples

* 1927: '' Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness'' by

Merian C. Cooper Merian Caldwell Cooper (October 24, 1893 – April 21, 1973) was an American filmmaker, actor, producer and air officer. In film, his most famous work was the 1933 movie ''King Kong (1933 film), King Kong'', and he is credited as co-inventor of ...

and Ernest B. Schoedsack (US) * 1931: '' Tabu'' by

Robert Flaherty Robert Joseph Flaherty, (; February 16, 1884 – July 23, 1951) was an American filmmaker who directed and produced the first commercially successful feature-length documentary film, '' Nanook of the North'' (1922). The film made his reputati ...

and F.W. Murnau (US) * 1934: ''

Man of Aran ''Man of Aran'' is a 1934 Irish fictional documentary ( ethnofiction) film shot, written and directed by Robert J. Flaherty about life on the Aran Islands off the western coast of Ireland. It portrays characters living in premodern condition ...

'' by Robert Flaherty (US) * 1942: '' Ala-Arriba!'' by

Leitão de Barros A suckling pig is a piglet fed on its mother's milk (i.e., a piglet which is still a "suckling"). In culinary contexts, a suckling pig is slaughtered between the ages of two and six weeks. It is traditionally cooked whole, often roasted, in ...

(Portugal) * 1948: ''

Louisiana Story ''Louisiana Story'' is a 1948 American black-and-white drama film directed and produced by Robert J. Flaherty. Its script was written by Frances H. Flaherty and Robert J. Flaherty. Although it has historically been represented as a documentar ...

'' by Robert Flaherty (US) * 1956: ''

On the Bowery ''On the Bowery'' is a 1956 American docufiction film directed by Lionel Rogosin. The film, Rogosin's first feature was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. After the Second World War, Lionel Rogosin made a vow to ...

'' by

Lionel Rogosin Lionel Rogosin (January 22, 1924, New York City, New York – December 8, 2000, Los Angeles, California) was an independent American filmmaker. He worked in political cinema, non-fiction partisan filmmaking and docufiction, influenced by Itali ...

(US) * 1958: '' Walt Disney's White Wilderness by

James Algar James Algar (June 11, 1912 – February 26, 1998) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He worked at The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Productions for 43 years and received the Disney Legends award in 1998. He was bor ...

(US) * 1958: ''

Moi, un noir ''Moi, un noir'' (, "Me, a Black erson; also released as ''I, a Negro'') is a 1958 French ethnofiction film directed by Jean Rouch. The film is set in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Synopsis The film depicts young Nigerien immigrants who left their coun ...

'' (Me, A Black Man) by

(France) * 1959 '' India Matri Bhumi'' (The Motherland) by

Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such a ...

, released 2007 (Italy) * 1959: ''

Come Back, Africa ''Come Back, Africa'' is a 1959 film, the second feature-length film written, produced, and directed by American independent filmmaker Lionel Rogosin. The film had a profound effect on African cinema, and remains historically and cultural impo ...

'' by Lionel Rogosin (US) * 1961: '' La pyramide humaine'' by Jean Rouch (The Human Pyramid) (France) * 1962: ''

Rite of Spring ''The Rite of Spring'' () is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Vaslav Nijinsky ...

'' by

Manoel de Oliveira Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira (; 11 December 1908 – 2 April 2015) was a Portuguese film director and screenwriter born in Cedofeita, Porto. He first began making films in 1927, when he and some friends attempted to make a film about Wor ...

(Portugal) * 1964: ''

Belarmino ''Belarmino'' is a 1964 Portuguese docufiction. It charts the life and times of ex-boxer Belarmino Fragoso. It is one of the first films of the Portuguese Cinema Novo, itself part of a wave of New Cinemas sweeping the world in the 1960s, and a ...

'' by Fernando Lopes (Portugal) * 1967: ''

David Holzman's Diary ''David Holzman's Diary'' is a 1967 American mockumentary, or work of metacinema, directed by Jim McBride, James McBride and starring L. M. Kit Carson. A feature-length film made on a tiny budget over several days, it is a work of experimental fic ...

'' by

Jim McBride Jim McBride (born September 16, 1941) is an American screenwriter, producer and director. Legacy Richard Brody, writing for ''The New Yorker'', named McBride as one of the twelve greatest living narrative filmmakers, citing ''David Holzman's D ...

(US) * 1970: ''

The Clowns ''The Clowns'' (, also known as ) is a 1970 mockumentary film by Federico Fellini about the human fascination with clowns and circuses. Plot summary Cast Main * Riccardo Billi as himself – Italian Clown (credited as Billi) * Federico Fellini ...

'' by

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

(Italy) * 1973: '' Trevico-Torino (viaggio nel Fiat-Nam)'' by

Ettore Scola Ettore Scola (; 10 May 1931 – 19 January 2016) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He received a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1978 for his film ''A Special Day'' and over ...

(Italy) * 1974: ''

Orders Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * H ...

(Les Ordres)'', by

(Canada) * 1974: ''

Montreal Main ''Montreal Main'' is a Canadian docufiction film, released in 1974. The film was directed by , and written by Vitale, Allan Moyle and Stephen Lack. The film centres on Frank (Vitale) and Bozo (Moyle), two friends of ambiguous sexuality living in ...

'', by Frank Vitale (Canada) * 1976: ''

Trás-os-Montes Trás-os-Montes () is a geographical, historical and cultural region of Portugal. Portuguese language, Portuguese for "behind the mountains", Trás-os-Montes is located northeast of the country in an highland, upland area, landlocked by the Douro ...

'' (Portugal) * 1982: ''

Ana Ana or ANA may refer to: People * Ana (given name), a list of people with the name * Ana people or Atakpame people, an ethnic group of West Africa * ana (gamer), Anathan Pham, an Australian professional ''Dota 2'' player known as ana Places * A ...

'' by

António Reis António Ferreira Gonçalves dos Reis, known as António Reis (27 August 1925 – 10 September 1991), was a Portuguese film director, screenwriter and Film producer, producer, poet, sculptor and ethnographer. He occupies an original place in the h ...

and Margarida Cordeiro (Portugal) * 1982: '' After the Axe'', by

Sturla Gunnarsson Sturla Gunnarsson (born August 30, 1951) is an Icelandic-Canadian film and television director and producer. Gunnarsson was born in Reykjavík in 1951. He moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, with his parents when he was seven years old. As h ...

(Canada) * 1984: ''

The Masculine Mystique ''The Masculine Mystique'' is a Canadian docufiction film directed by Giles Walker and John N. Smith and released in 1984. The film centres on Alex ( Sam Grana), Blue ( Stefan Wodoslawsky), Mort (Mort Ransen) and Ashley (Ashley Murray), four me ...

'' by

Giles Walker Giles Walker (January 17, 1946 – March 23, 2020) was a Scottish-born Canadian film director. Biography Giles Walker, born in 1946 in Dundee, Scotland, received a B.A. from the University of New Brunswick and an M.A. from Stanford University ...

and

John N. Smith John N. Smith Order of Canada, OC (born July 31, 1943 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. Career Smith graduated with a B.A. in political science from McGill University in 1964. He joined the Canadian Broadcasting ...

(Canada) * 1985: ''

90 Days ''90 Days'' was a video news magazine produced by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, MO and distributed at the end of every business quarter (hence the show's title) through the mail to employees and shareholders of the company in VHS format. From ...

'' by Giles Walker (Canada) * 1986: '' Sitting in Limbo'' by John N. Smith (Canada) * 1987: '' The Last Straw'' by Giles Walker (Canada) * 1987: ''

Train of Dreams ''Train of Dreams'' is a 1987 Canadian film directed by John N. Smith and starring Jason St. Amour, Christopher Neil and Frederick Eugene Ward as a popular teacher. In this documentary-style drama, a delinquent teenager tries to put his life on ...

'' by John N. Smith (Canada) * 1989: ''

Welcome to Canada ''Welcome to Canada'' is a 1989 Canadian docufiction film directed by John N. Smith. Loosely based on a real-life incident, the film depicts the interactions of a small community in Newfoundland with a group of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who turn ...

'' by John N. Smith (Canada) * 1990: '' The Company of Strangers'' by

Cynthia Scott Cynthia Scott (born January 1, 1939) is a Canadian award-winning filmmaker who has produced, directed, written, and edited several films with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). Her works have won the Academy Awards, Oscar and Canadian Fil ...

(Canada) * 1991: '' And Life Goes On'' by

(Iran) * 2000: '' In Vanda's Room'' by

Pedro Costa Pedro Costa (born 30 December 1958) is a Portuguese film director. He is best known for his sequence of films set in Lisbon, which focuses on the lives of the impoverished residents of a slum in the Fontainhas neighbourhood. Biography After comp ...

(Portugal) * 2001: Tutto in un Giorno by Giorgio J. Squarcia (Italy).” * 2002: ''

Ten Ten, TEN or 10 may refer to: * 10, an even natural number following 9 and preceding 11 * one of the years 10 BC, AD 10, 1910, 2010, 2110 * October, the tenth month of the year Places * Mount Ten, in Vietnam * Tongren Fenghuang Airport (IATA c ...

'' by

(Iran) * 2006: ''

Colossal Youth ''Colossal Youth'' is the only studio album by Welsh post-punk band Young Marble Giants, released in February 1980 on Rough Trade Records. Young Marble Giants were offered the opportunity to record the album after Rough Trade heard just two son ...

'' by Pedro Costa (Portugal) * 2007: '' Criminals Gone Wild'' by Ousala Aleem (US) * 2008: ''

Our Beloved Month of August ''Our Beloved Month of August'' () is a 2008 Portuguese film directed by Miguel Gomes. Reception As of 31 October 2008, the film has grossed more than €89,000. It won the Critics Award at the 2008 São Paulo International Film Festival. At the ...

'' by Miguel Gomes (Portugal) * 2009: '' Carcasses'' by

Denis Côté Denis Côté (born November 16, 1973) is a Canada, Canadian independent filmmaker and producer living in Quebec, of Brayon origin. His experimental films have been shown at major film festivals around the world. Life and career Côté was born i ...

(Canada)"A meditation on what it means to be marginal". ''

Montreal Gazette ''The Gazette'', also known as the ''Montreal Gazette'', is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper which is owned by Postmedia Network. It is published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the only English-language daily newspape ...

'', May 29, 2009. * 2009: '' The Mouth of the Wolf'' by

Pietro Marcello Pietro Marcello (born 2 July 1976) is an Italian film director. He has directed more than ten documentary and feature films since 2004. Several of his films have been presented at international film festivals and have received various awards and n ...

(Italy) * 2013: ''

Closed Curtain ''Closed Curtain'' (, ''Pardeh'') is a 2013 Iranian docufiction film by Jafar Panahi and Kambuzia Partovi. It premiered at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 12, 2013 where Panahi won the Silver Bear for Best Script. It was ...

'' by

Jafar Panahi Jafar Panâhi (, ) (born 11 July 1960) is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, and editor. He is known internationally for his contributions to Iranian cinema and has received numerous awards at major film festivals, including the Palme d'Or ...

and

Kambuzia Partovi Kambuzia Partovi (also spelt Kambozia Partovi, ; 11 November 1955 – 24 November 2020) was an Iranian film director and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Rasht, Iran, on the Caspian Sea. After studying theater arts in school he wrote mainl ...

(Iran) * 2015: ''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...

'' by

(Iran) * 2016: '' Tuktuq'' by

Robin Aubert Robin Aubert (born May 13, 1972) is a Canadian actor, screenwriter and film director.

(Canada) * 2018: ''

Mad Dog Labine ''Mad Dog Labine'' is a Canadian docufiction film, directed by Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr and Renaud Lessard and released in 2018. Set in the rural Pontiac region of western Quebec, the film stars Ève-Marie Martin as Lindsay Labine, a young girl who i ...

'' by

Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr is a Canada, Canadian film director from Quebec.Cédric Bélanger"Phénix: fils de soldat, le cinéaste Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr racontera le départ de son père pour l’Afghanistan" ''Le Journal de Québec'', November 9, 2022. ...

and Renaud Lessard (Canada)"«Mad Dog Labine»: irrésistiblement «rough»"
''

Le Devoir (, ) is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and throughout Canada. It was founded by journalist and politician Henri Bourassa in 1910. is one of few independent large-circulation newspapers in Quebec ...

'', April 6, 2019 * 2019: ''

Rolling Thunder Revue The Rolling Thunder Revue was a 1975–76 concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan with numerous musicians and collaborators. The purpose of the tour was to allow Dylan, who was a major recording artist and concert performer, to play ...

'' by

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

(US) * 2023: ''

Blue Hour The blue hour (from French ; ) is the period of twilight (in the morning or evening, around the nautical stage) when the Sun is at a significant depth below the horizon. During this time, the remaining sunlight takes on a mostly blue shade. Th ...

'' by Daniel Bowhers (US)

References

Sources and bibliography

THESES online *
Docufiction in the Digital Age
– thesis by Tay Huizhen, National University of Singapore *
The Zulu Mask: The Role of Creative Imagination in Documentary Film
– thesis by Clifford Derrick, Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg *
Docudrama: the real (his)tory
thesis by Çiçek Coşkun (New York University School of Education) *
Issues in contemporary documentary
by

Jane Chapman Jane Chapman is a British academic, professor of communications at the University of Lincoln, a research associate and a former fellow at Wolfson College, Cambridge and the Centre of South Asian Studies, Cambridge. She is the author of twelve bo ...

at Google Books (pages 1 to 34) ARTICLES and ESSAYS *
Shaping the Real: Directorial imagination and the visualisation of evidence in the hybrid documentary
– article b

a

Media Department at

Macquarie University Macquarie University ( ) is a Public university, public research university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the Sydney metropolitan area. ...

, Sydney *
Docufiction: Where Art and Life Merge and Diverge
�� Article by Julie Drizin a
Makers Quest 2.0
*
New Media Documentary
– Paper by Gunthar Hartwig *
Docudrama: the real (his)tory
*
Panel: At The Edge of Truth: Hybrid Documentaries
a
Vox Talk
magazine *
The dual phase oscillation hypothesis and the neuropsychology of docu-fiction film
– article b
Dyutiman Mukhopadhyay
Consciousness, Literature and the Arts, vol. 16, no. 1, April 2015 *
A creative treatment of actuality
– paper b
Peter Biesterfeld
a
Videomaker
August 7, 2015 *
The art paradox
– article b
Bert Oliver
a
Thought Leader
September 17, 2012 ---- *

– thesis by (abstract in English and French) *

– interview (Le Journal du CNRS) *
Peter Watkins, un cinéaste maudit
article at Critikat ---- *
Un genere cinematografico: la docu-fiction. Il caso di 150 ore a Pavia
by Laura Marchesi (thesis – abstract) CITATIONS * * *

External links

* {{Film genres Neologisms Film genres Cinematic techniques Drama genres Documentary film genres Fiction by genre Fiction forms Television genres

Origins

Docudrama and mockumentary

First docufictions by country

Other notable examples

See also

References

Sources and bibliography

External links