Storytelling has always been a crucial part of documentary-making. Archival documents and recordings add greater authenticity and intimacy to the experience than dramatised reenactments and narrations. Be it war documentaries using footage recorded on the ground to true crime documentaries using old interview audios, archival documentaries keep history relevant in the present. When a documentary intends to show what happened in the past, using real-time footage enhances the documentaries' accessibility and appeal to viewers. It can give them the most authentic account possible. It can also capture an event, a character, or a story with more complexity. Imagine if you could see the actual recordings of Jeffrey Dahmer's childhood instead of the recurring narrations and reenactments of young Dahmer being fascinated with dead animals.
Many people often associate archival documentaries with old wartime interviews that are easily forgettable. There's much more to it than that. These documentaries provide a platform for the restoration of historical records and footage. The reality of the past is presented in a way that allows the present-day audience to emotionally connect with it. Instead of providing a detached view of the event, it takes them to the time and place and empathises with it. Old work becomes new through this combination of old content, modern technology, and know-how. At the same time, archives are kept alive and relevant through these documentaries. It is particularly beneficial when portraying socio-political issues (like 13th on Netflix and They Shall Not Grow Old.)
These films do present their challenges like conducting extensive research, compiling archives, technical improvements, etc. These documentaries also test the innovation and creativity of the filmmakers. The possibilities and choices are endless. Going through the archives and the process of choosing and assembling is also very labour-intensive. So is reviewing the footage and editing. Maintaining a meaningful and coherent narrative and making sure that the historical context is maintained is not an easy task. Although the advent of the internet has made the process of researching and collecting archives comparatively easier, there is the issue of copyrights and other usage aspects which is necessary to avoid any legal and distribution troubles later.
It is a filmmaker's professional responsibility to fully know and understand the subject and context of the archives they use. In its ability to present more information to the viewers while also appealing to their emotions and engaging their interests, archival documentaries hold a lot of power as a medium of storytelling. Who is to say, in a century from now, somebody would find your lockdown videos and decide to use them in their documentary about the pandemic?
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