The 6 Types of Documentary: part one Poetic

Poetic documentaries,

First appearing in the 1920’s, before sound was introduced to film, the poetic style relies on the visual imagery. The poetic documentaries is more about showing something then telling you anything. Just create moods in documentary through visual representation.

Back in the early days of cinema there was an appetite for scenes familiar to the audience. Which the Lumiere brother’s films provided. Still this would grow from there to an appetite for news reels and travelogues. This gives the poetic of documentary an outlet to show

Poetic documentaries have no story, no narrator there is no attempt made to persuade or promote.  Just pure observations, just to record, reveal and preserve. Films like Robert Florey’s Skyscraper Symphony made in 1929 and Godfrey Reggio’s Koyannisqatsi made in 1982 are prime example of poetic documentaries.  Neither of the documentaries attempts to tell the audience anything just showcases image and audio.

Even though both film where made 53 years apart. Both share similar themes and the moods created through the visuals presented in the documentary.