The Movies The Movies Begin…Begin…

A Fascination with Moving Shadows…A Fascination with Moving Shadows…

•Late 5th Century BC – Chinese philosopher Mo-Ti describes the phenomenon of an upside down image beamed thru a small hole in the opposite wall of a darkened room

•350 BC - Aristotle tells of watching an image of an eclipse beamed onto the ground through a sieve.

•c. 1490 - Leonardo DaVinci describes a structure that would produce this effect.

c. 1610 - Johannes Kepler refers to a construction that utilizes this phenomenon as a camera obscura.

The Earliest Messing The Earliest Messing Around with Around with

Shadow and LightShadow and Light

Camera Obscura (“Dark room”)Camera Obscura (“Dark room”)

The Earliest Messing Around with The Earliest Messing Around with Shadow and LightShadow and Light

Shadow PlaysShadow Plays

Ombres ChinoiseOmbres Chinoise

Balinese Shadow Plays Balinese Shadow Plays (Wayang)(Wayang)

The Earliest Messing Around with The Earliest Messing Around with Shadow and LightShadow and Light

Visual Toys and Amusements:Visual Toys and Amusements:Magick LanternMagick Lantern

Visual Toys and Amusements:Visual Toys and Amusements:Magick LanternMagick Lantern

Visual Toys and AmusementsVisual Toys and Amusements

Phenakistoscope Phenakistoscope ((1833) Joseph Plateau 1833) Joseph Plateau (Brussels )(Brussels )

The Zoetrope The Zoetrope (Daedalum -- "wheel of the Devil") (Daedalum -- "wheel of the Devil") - - credited to William George Horner (1834)credited to William George Horner (1834)

ThaumatropeThaumatrope (1825) - Peter Roget (US), Dr. (1825) - Peter Roget (US), Dr. John Ayrton (Paris), and Dr. Fitton (London)John Ayrton (Paris), and Dr. Fitton (London)

Louis Daguerre (France)Louis Daguerre (France)

Rise of Photography: 1820s and 30sRise of Photography: 1820s and 30s

Thomas Wedgewood (Britain)Thomas Wedgewood (Britain)

Joseph Niépce (France)Joseph Niépce (France)

Sequence Photograph: Sequence Photograph: Etienne-Jules MareyEtienne-Jules Marey

Sequence Photograph: Sequence Photograph: Eadweard MuybridgeEadweard Muybridge

The Pre-history of Documentary The Pre-history of Documentary FilmFilm

Thomas A. EdisonThomas A. Edison

Black MariaBlack Maria

The Pre-history of Movies, The Pre-history The Pre-history of Movies, The Pre-history of Documentary Filmof Documentary Film

Auguste and Louis LumièreAuguste and Louis Lumière

Films of Travel and ExplorationFilms of Travel and Exploration

Robert J. FlahertyRobert J. Flaherty

Edward S. CurtisEdward S. Curtis

Films of Travel and ExplorationFilms of Travel and Exploration

Herbert PontingHerbert Ponting

Origins of Soviet DocumentaryOrigins of Soviet Documentary

Dziga VertovDziga Vertov

Sergei EisensteinSergei Eisenstein

1920’s Experimentation: Dada and 1920’s Experimentation: Dada and SurrealismSurrealism

A Young girl commits suicide. Because A Young girl commits suicide. Because of What? DADAof What? DADAThe spirits are telephoned. The spirits are telephoned. Who invented it? DADAWho invented it? DADASomeone walks on your feet. It's DADASomeone walks on your feet. It's DADAIf you have serious ideas about life,If you have serious ideas about life,If you make artistic discoveriesIf you make artistic discoveriesand if all of a sudden your head begins and if all of a sudden your head begins to crackle with laughter,to crackle with laughter,If you find all your ideas useless and If you find all your ideas useless and ridiculous, know thatridiculous, know that

IT IS DADA BEGINNING TO SPEAK TO YOUIT IS DADA BEGINNING TO SPEAK TO YOU

1920’s Experimentation1920’s Experimentation

British Documentary MovementBritish Documentary Movement

John GriersonJohn Grierson

The Great DepressionThe Great Depression

Dorothea LangeDorothea Lange

Dorothea LangeDorothea Lange

Ben ShahnBen ShahnWalker EvansWalker Evans

Documenting the DepressionDocumenting the Depression

Pare LorentzPare Lorentz

Paul StrandPaul Strand

Documentaries go to War: BritainDocumentaries go to War: Britain

Humphrey Humphrey JenningsJennings

Documentaries go to War: Spanish Civil Documentaries go to War: Spanish Civil WarWar

Ernest Hemingway &Ernest Hemingway &Joris IvensJoris Ivens

Documentaries go to War: GermanyDocumentaries go to War: Germany

Documentaries go to War: USDocumentaries go to War: US

Frank Frank CapraCapra

1.To foster a firm belief in the right for which we fight.

2.To foster a realization that we are up against a tough job.

3.To initiate a determined confidence in our own ability and the ability of our comrades and leaders to do the job that has to be done

4.To instill a feeling of confidence, insofar as is possible under the circumstances, in the integrity and fighting ability of our allies

5.To create resentment, based on knowledge of the facts, against our enemies who have made it necessary for us to fight

6.To foster a belief that through military victory, the political achievement of a better world order is possible.

Post-War DocumentaryPost-War Documentary

Edward R. MurrowEdward R. Murrow

Italian Neo-RealismItalian Neo-Realism

British Free British Free CinemaCinema

Jean Jean RouchRouch

Al & Dave MayslesAl & Dave Maysles

Fred WisemanFred Wiseman

Robert DrewRobert Drew

Cinema Verite / Direct CinemaCinema Verite / Direct Cinema

Ricky Ricky LeacockLeacock

War in VietnamWar in Vietnam

•1965 to 1968 —Escalation of the war; mass protests at home.

•1968 —Tet Offensive; US embassy compound in Saigon seized by NLF

•1968 —Lyndon Johnson declines to run another term; Nixon elected. "The greatest honor history can bestow is the tittle of 'peacemaker'. . . after a period of confrontation we are entering an era of negotiation."

•1969—Draft lottery instituted

•1969-72 —“Vietnamization program: gradual withdrawal of US troops; military aid to South Vietnam. US invasion of Cambodia and Laos; renewed bombing of North; mass protests at home.

•23 Jan 73 - President Nixon announced an agreement "to end the war and bring peace with honor in Vietnam and S.E. Asia."

Feminist Documentary: Reclaiming Feminist Documentary: Reclaiming HistoryHistory