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Documentary Responses
Several times this semester you will write a response to a
Documentary Responses
Several times this semester you will write a response to a documentary that you will be required to watch.
The documentaries, like the articles you read, are texts. We just “read” them differently.
Use these responses to explore the topic of race and intersecting identities. Documentaries provide unique ways to understand an issue.
I want you to engage thoughtfully with the text. The responses are based on how you saw the topic being presented, what you took from it, what was impactful for you.
This is NOT a summary of the documentary. I DO NOT want a recap. You do not need to tell me everything that happened. You can (and should) mention events that relate to how effective/impactful/successful (or not!) that film is.
Example: The way the director chooses to put the scene of the team winning the championship and then works backward in time to show what it took to get there was very effective in establishing interest and intrigue.
Think about the following things as you watch and use your responses/ideas to write the paper
• Why am I watching this?
o Why was it assigned in this section/as part of this topic?
o How does it relate to the other texts we have used in class?
o What are you taking away? What did you learn?
• What does the filmmaker want me to take away from this?
o What is the message?
o Who’s point of view are we seeing and why?
• How is the topic presented? (i.e., what techniques are being used—close-ups, stats, animation, re-creations, first-person stories, etc.) Are the presentation and techniques effective?
o Is there a narrator leading you through the story?
o Are there interviews?
o How are facts and opinions presented?
• How do you feel when watching it?
o What are your reactions?
o How has watching the documentary affected your feelings about or knowledge of the topic/issue?
• How does this relate to the week’s reading?
o If there is an additional reading for the week you must incorporate it into the response. You must make connections between that text and the documentary (there is an automatic 20% grade deduction if you do not do so)
✓ Please write clearly. Use a traditional essay form (intro paragraph, body paragraphs, conclusion). Use the questions above as a guidelines.
✓ I do not recommend looking up reviews or using AI to generate ideas. Students who have used that technique often end up plagiarizing. Besides—the ideas should be YOURS, not those of others. You watched it—what do you think?
✓ Your responses should be approximately 500 words and double-spaced.
✓ Grading: 20% points for presentation (grammar, spelling, syntax, word choice, organization); 80% points content (addressing the above issues; thorough analysis)
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