Open Educational Resources
Document Type
Syllabus
Publication Date
Summer 6-16-2025
Abstract
In this course, we will explore how various forms of nonfiction storytelling represent reality and shape our understanding of the world. Over the semester, we will examine how “the real” is represented across different mediums, including theatre, film, photography, and literature. Through critical readings, case studies, creative exercises, and Brightspace discussions, we will examine the intricate interplay between truth, ethics, form, and authorship in documentary and nonfiction works.
The course is divided into five units. The first unit introduces foundational questions of ethics, authorship, and cultural responsibility in nonfiction storytelling. The following units focus on specific forms: documentary theatre, nonfiction photography, documentary film, and memoir/life writing. Each unit will incorporate global case studies, contemporary social issues, and opportunities for students to respond creatively and critically.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will:
- Gain familiarity with a range of case studies, artists, and collectives across the globe working in nonfiction and documentary forms
- Respond to contemporary social and political issues through their own documentary storytelling practices
- Develop skills in storytelling, aesthetic composition, and live or multimedia performance
- Build a working vocabulary for analyzing and discussing nonfiction storytelling across different media
- Think critically about the ethics and responsibilities involved in representing real people, events, and environments
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Included in
Other Film and Media Studies Commons, Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons, Photography Commons, Visual Studies Commons
