The document traces the evolution of documentaries from the earliest actuality films created before 1900 to show everyday events, to Nanook of the North in 1922 being cited as the first original documentary film. It discusses how documentaries were used for propaganda during the 1930s-1940s by various countries at war, and how new camera equipment in the 1950s-1970s allowed for improved filmmaking styles and quality. Finally, it notes that from the 1960s-1990s, television became a major outlet for educational and journalistic documentaries.

2. Pre 1900’s
Very first film.
‘Actuality Films’
1922
First original
Documentary
Nanook in the
North
1926
First recorded mention of
the word ‘documentary’
1930’s-1040’s
Countries at war
create
documentaries for
propaganda
1950’s-1970’s
New equipment allowed
new styles of filmmaking
and better quality
documentaries
1069’s-1990’s
Emphasis on
educational and
journalistic
documentaries for
television

3. VERY FIRST FILMS
• THE VERY FIRST FILMS (PRE-1900’S) WERE CALLED ‘ACTUALITY
FILMS’. BECAUSE THEY WHERE FOOTAGE OF ‘ACTUAL’ EVENTS
DURING EVERY DAY SITUATIONS LIKE TRAINS PULLING INTO
STATIONS, WORKERS LEAVING THE FACTORY AND BOATS PULLING
INTO DOCKS.

4. FIRST ‘ORIGINAL’ DOCUMENTARY
• NANOOK OF THE NORTH, BY AMERICAN FILM MAKER ROBERT
FLAHERTY, WAS THE FIRST ‘ORIGINAL’ DOCUMENTARY. THE
DOCUMENTARY FOLLOWED THE LIVES OF A REAL ESKIMO FAMILY
AS THEY TRAVEL AND SEARCH FOR FOOD IN THE UNGAVA
PENINSULA OF NORTHERN QUEBEC, CANADA (1922) . HOWEVER
THE FIRST RECORDED MENTION OF THE WORD DOCUMENTARY
CAME 4 YEARS LATER BY JOHN GRIERSON.

5. PROPAGANDA?!
• DURING THE 1930’S AND 1940’S DOCUMENTARIES WERE USED A
TOOL FOR PROPAGANDA BY GOVERNMENTS SUCH AS NAZI
GERMANY, AMERICA AND BRITAIN, ESPECIALLY DURING WWII, THE
PARTIES IN CONFLICT USED PROPAGANDA MOVIES TO SUPPORT
THEIR WAR EFFORTS BUT THERE WERE CONSIDERABLE
DIFFERENCES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE APPROACHES IN THE USE OF
THESE FILMS. IN 1935, THE RESETTLEMENT ADMINISTRATION, AN
AGENCY ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE AID TO FARMERS AND OTHER
RURAL POPULATIONS, DECIDED TO PRODUCE FILMS AS A METHOD
OF GETTING ITS MESSAGE TO A WIDER SEGMENT OF THE PUBLIC.

6. EQUIPMENT
• THE 1950’S-1970’S THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY
AND LIGHTER CAMERA EQUIPMENT ALLOWED FOR NEW
FILMMAKING STYLES TO EMERGE AND ALSO THE ABILITY TO
CAPTURE MORE ‘SPONTANEOUS’ EVENTS. USE OF HANDHELD
CAMERAS AND LIGHTING ALLOWED FOR IMPROVED QUALITY
IN DOCUMENTARIES. THE FILMS CREATED BY THESE
FILMMAKERS STRIVE FOR IMMEDIACY, SPONTANEITY, AND
AUTHENTICITY. AN ATTEMPT TO BRING THE FILMMAKER AND
THE AUDIENCE CLOSER TO THE SUBJECT.

7. TELEVISION?
• FROM THE 1960’S TO THE 1990’S TELEVISION BECAME A
VERY IMPORTANT OUTLET FOR DOCUMENTARIES WHICH IS
WHY THERE WAS A HUGE EMPHASIS FOR MORE
EDUCATIONAL AND JOURNALISTIC DOCUMENTARY
PROGRAMS TO BE PRODUCED.