What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘documentary’? One would think of it as a collection of data, facts and clips together, however, there's more to it.
Truth is subjective, and the director's perception of it may be different than the viewers, that's the reason why sometimes directors tend to blur the lines between truth and fiction while creating documentaries. Thus, docu-fictions, which are documentaries with fictional elements, are a fantasized version of the pre-existing facts.
Bansky’s Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) is a British documentary about a French immigrant. The film's authenticity has been discussed in several debates, as the audience argues that the main character might be the creation of the director to enhance the storytelling process of the film.
Another film, Catfish by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman was called ‘the best fake documentary’. It is a series of events of a man's online friendship, filmed by two of his colleagues. As the filmmakers became the central characters in the film, the documentary's truthfulness was questioned by the viewers.
A documentary miniseries rooted in the story of a robbery – This is a Robbery: The World's Biggest Art Heist by Colin Barnicle – involves dramatic reenactments. This fictional layer helps the audience to visualise the series of events as well, making it a captivating experience.
When a documentary film is created with an absurd narrative to add a comedic effect to the story, it's called a ‘mockumentary’. This is Spinal Tap by Rob Reiner and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, are both satires in the music industries that use exaggeration and dramatisation of the events.
Christopher Guest's Best in Show and Andy Mitchell's Inside the Mind of a Cat is made by analysing animal behaviour. Some facts coupled with fictional narratives add to the uniqueness and comicality of the films.
Ultimately, some fictional elements can be added to documentary films to add comedic effect, amplify the storytelling process or make it a gripping watch. Yet, as long as the viewers are aware of what they are consuming, the process remains honest and transparent.
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