I have a pretty close relationship with documentaries and mockumentaries. One of my favorite things to do is browse the documentary netflix section and watch. Not that this is relevant but if no one has seen Blackfish, Forks Over Knives, Food Inc, or Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, to name a few of my favorites, please do! Though I love documentaries, to think that they are unbiased representations of truth is naive. Documentary film makers set out to create films with a message, and can, without the viewer being aware of it, pick and choose evidence and examples to fit their point of view if they wish. Whether this is dishonest or not, I'm not sure. I think documentaries are allowed to have a point of view and bias, that is what makes them focused and influential. But there must be a line.
Side note, I also love mockumentary-type entertainment. (Shout out to Parks and Recreation!)
Getting back on topic, I was reminded of the documentary/film/mockumentary Exit Through The Gift Shop while watching and discussing Grizzly Man. The film is supposedly about the street art scene abroad and a (crazy?) french man who films it. The way the film is presented, it seems like a documentary. However, some points are so bizarre that you begin to question whether it is actually true. I read an article after watching the movie that explained a theory that the film is actually one of Bansky's tricks. (Bansky is a famous street artist notorious for playing tricks on the public, including not revealing his identity). While the viewers may receive Exit Through The Gift Shop as truth, they have no way of knowing for sure because the unknown Bansky is the director.
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