PERFORMATIVE

Lesson Overview:

The Performative Mode of documentary filmmaking is a style that foregrounds the filmmaker’s personal perspective, emotional experience, and subjective truth. Unlike traditional documentaries that strive for objectivity or observational distance, performative documentaries often blur the lines between fact and fiction, using techniques such as reenactments, poetic narration, direct address, and expressive montage. Students will analyze how these films use embodied storytelling to provoke empathy, challenge dominant narratives, and connect personal stories to broader social, cultural, or political themes. Through a closer look at the work of filmmaker Marlon Riggs, we will critically examine how performative documentaries redefine what truth means in nonfiction cinema.