Art and Persuasion: A Communication Study of Contemporary Documentary Film

The focus of this study is defining and determining the area of communication in contemporary documentary films. In examining the structure and aesthetic composition of documentary film, this study will compare the film genre to the areas of journalism. persuasion and propaganda through secondary and primary research defining the elements that constitute these specific areas of communication. Secondary research involved text, newspaper articles, online journals and websites, and the viewing of documentary film. The primary research was conducted through personal interviews with documentary filmmakers. Research findings resulted in a wide range of views on the definition and uses for documentary film which, as a result, determines that more than one area of communication is utilized in the documentary genre. The study concludes that a range between art, journalism, specifically alternative journalism, and propaganda is used in contemporary documentary film