Research Article
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Your Turn as an Example of Multi-Modal, Ethnographic and Collective Documentary

Year 2024, Volume: 8 Issue: 16, 124 - 137, 30.09.2024
https://doi.org/10.30520/tjsosci.1534469

Abstract

Documentary cinema is a film genre that aims to reproduce authentic reality and provide awareness to the audience by addressing real events, people or subjects with a claim of objectivity. Such films generally use a narrative language that is not based on fiction and reflect reality as it is. There are several standpoints a documentary film-maker may follow and adopt. These standpoints usually determine the formal characteristics of the film. A documentary may be ethnographic, journalistic, poetic, etc. Likewise, a documentary film-maker may seek to approach reality without any self-involvement and he/she may choose to observe rather than participate in the content or vice versa. Utilizing a number of methods, documentary cinema has flourished in both content and form in recent years. New ways of making documentaries are flourishing and minor realities as well as major ones are brought to the audience. One approach is the ethnographic documentary, where the filmmaker adopts a participant-observer role, immersing themselves in the socio-cultural phenomenon to authentically convey a particular truth. Taking ethnography as a starting point, a film-maker makes numerous stylistic choices and enrich his/her narrative following different patterns. This study aims to interrogate the prospects of documentary cinema in recent years and define the relationship between the film-maker’s standpoint and the stylistic choices he/she makes, using the film Your Turn (Capai, 2019) as a case study. The sample film was chosen via purposive sampling method and a textual analysis was conducted. The results of the analysis shows that Your Turn (Capai, 2019) utilizes ethnography and turn the participant-observation method into a collective practice which contributes to the overall aesthetics of the film as well as its narrative foundation.

Ethical Statement

This study does not involve the use of surveys, and therefore, does not require an ethical statement.

Supporting Institution

There is no supporting institution.

References

  • Aitken, I. (2006). Introduction. In I. Aitken, Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film (pp. xxxv-xxxviii). New York: Routledge.
  • Aitken, I. (2014). Film and Reform: John Grierson and the Documentary Film Movement. London: Routledge.
  • Angrosino, M. (2007). Doing Ethnographic and Observational Research. London: Sage Publications.
  • Atkinson, P., & Hammersley, M. (2007). Ethnography: Principles in Practice. Oxon: Routledge.
  • Aufderheide, P. (2007). Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Bateman, J. A., & Wildfeuer, J. (2017). Introduction: Bringing Together New Perspectives of Film Text Analysis. In J. Wildfeuer, & J. A. Bateman, Film Text Analysis: New Perspectives on the Analysis of Filmic Meaning (pp. 1-23). Routledge: New York.
  • Brewer, J. D. (2005). Ethnography. Buckingham: Open University Press.
  • Capai, E. (Director). (2019). Your Turn [Feature Film].
  • Dicks, B., Mason, B., Coffey, A., & Atkinson, P. (2005). Qualitative Research and Hypermedia: Ethnography for the Digital Age. London: Sage Publications.
  • Dormehl, L. (2012). A Journey Through Documentary Film. Harpenden: Kamera Books.
  • Dyer, R. (2016). The Persistence of Textual Analysis. Kracauer Lectures in Film and Media Theory.
  • Fathoni, M. R. (2014). Textual Analysis on Documentary Films: Comparison Study of "Capitalism: A Love Story" and "Inside Job". Communicare Journal of Communication Studies, 2(1), 13-36.
  • Fetterman, D. M. (2010). Ethnography Step-by-Step. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
  • Flaherty, R. (Director). (1922). Nanook of the North [Feature Film].
  • Flaherty, R. (Director). (1926). Moana [Feature Film].
  • Friday, N., & Leah, N. (2024). Types of Purposive Sampling Techniques with Their Examples and Application in Qualitative Research Studies. British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advanced Studies: English Lang., Teaching, Literature, Linguistics & Communication, 5(1), 90-99.
  • Grierson, J. (1933). The Documentary Producer. Cinema Quartetly, 2(1), 7-9.
  • Hammersley, M. (2009). Ethnography. In G. Ritzer, The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (pp. 1479-1483). Malden: Blackwell Publishing.
  • Heider, K. G. (2006). Ethnographic Film. Austin: University of Texas Press.
  • Hine, C. (2001). Virtual Ethnography. London: Sage Publications .
  • Juhasz, A., & Lebow, A. (2015). Introduction: A World Encountered. In A. Juhasz, & A. Lebow, A Companion to Contemporary Documentary Film (pp. 1-18). West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell.
  • Larson, P. (2002). Mediated Fiction. In K. B. Jensen, A Handbook of Media and Communication Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies (pp. 117-137). London: Routledge.
  • LeCompte, M. D., & Schensul, J. J. (2010). Designing & Conducting Ethnographic Research: The Ethnographer's Toolkit. Lanham: AltaMira Press.
  • Lumière, A., & Lumière, L. (Directors). (1896). The Arrival of a Train [Feature Film].
  • Lumière, L. (Director). (1895). Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory [Feature Film].
  • Marks, D. (1995). Ethnography and Ethnographic Film: From Flaherty to Asch and After. American Anthropologist, 97(2), 339-347.
  • McKee, A. (2001). A Beginner's Guide to Textual Analysis. Metro Magazine, 138-149.
  • McLane, B. A. (2012). A New History of Documentary Film. London: Continuum.
  • Nichols, B. (1991). Representing Reality: Issues and Concepts in Documentary. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
  • Nichols, B. (2001). Introduction to Documentary. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
  • Renov, M. (1993). Introduction: The Truth about Non-Fiction. In M. Renov, Theorizing Documentary (pp. 1-11). London: Routledge.
  • Rouch, J., & Morin, E. (Directors). (1961). Chronicle of a Summer [Feature Film].
  • Ruby, J. (1975). Is an Enthnographic Film a Filmic Ethnography? Studies in Visual Communication, 2(2), 104-111.
  • Shagrir, L. (2017). Journey to Ethnographic Research. Cham: Springer.
  • Spence, L., & Vinicius, N. (2011). Crafting Truth: Documentary Form and Meaning. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.
  • Ugwu, C. (2017). History of Ethnography: Straitening the Records. Academic Journals, 9(7), 64-68. DOI: 10.5897/IJSA2016.0670.
Year 2024, Volume: 8 Issue: 16, 124 - 137, 30.09.2024
https://doi.org/10.30520/tjsosci.1534469

Abstract

References

  • Aitken, I. (2006). Introduction. In I. Aitken, Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film (pp. xxxv-xxxviii). New York: Routledge.
  • Aitken, I. (2014). Film and Reform: John Grierson and the Documentary Film Movement. London: Routledge.
  • Angrosino, M. (2007). Doing Ethnographic and Observational Research. London: Sage Publications.
  • Atkinson, P., & Hammersley, M. (2007). Ethnography: Principles in Practice. Oxon: Routledge.
  • Aufderheide, P. (2007). Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Bateman, J. A., & Wildfeuer, J. (2017). Introduction: Bringing Together New Perspectives of Film Text Analysis. In J. Wildfeuer, & J. A. Bateman, Film Text Analysis: New Perspectives on the Analysis of Filmic Meaning (pp. 1-23). Routledge: New York.
  • Brewer, J. D. (2005). Ethnography. Buckingham: Open University Press.
  • Capai, E. (Director). (2019). Your Turn [Feature Film].
  • Dicks, B., Mason, B., Coffey, A., & Atkinson, P. (2005). Qualitative Research and Hypermedia: Ethnography for the Digital Age. London: Sage Publications.
  • Dormehl, L. (2012). A Journey Through Documentary Film. Harpenden: Kamera Books.
  • Dyer, R. (2016). The Persistence of Textual Analysis. Kracauer Lectures in Film and Media Theory.
  • Fathoni, M. R. (2014). Textual Analysis on Documentary Films: Comparison Study of "Capitalism: A Love Story" and "Inside Job". Communicare Journal of Communication Studies, 2(1), 13-36.
  • Fetterman, D. M. (2010). Ethnography Step-by-Step. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
  • Flaherty, R. (Director). (1922). Nanook of the North [Feature Film].
  • Flaherty, R. (Director). (1926). Moana [Feature Film].
  • Friday, N., & Leah, N. (2024). Types of Purposive Sampling Techniques with Their Examples and Application in Qualitative Research Studies. British Journal of Multidisciplinary and Advanced Studies: English Lang., Teaching, Literature, Linguistics & Communication, 5(1), 90-99.
  • Grierson, J. (1933). The Documentary Producer. Cinema Quartetly, 2(1), 7-9.
  • Hammersley, M. (2009). Ethnography. In G. Ritzer, The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology (pp. 1479-1483). Malden: Blackwell Publishing.
  • Heider, K. G. (2006). Ethnographic Film. Austin: University of Texas Press.
  • Hine, C. (2001). Virtual Ethnography. London: Sage Publications .
  • Juhasz, A., & Lebow, A. (2015). Introduction: A World Encountered. In A. Juhasz, & A. Lebow, A Companion to Contemporary Documentary Film (pp. 1-18). West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell.
  • Larson, P. (2002). Mediated Fiction. In K. B. Jensen, A Handbook of Media and Communication Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies (pp. 117-137). London: Routledge.
  • LeCompte, M. D., & Schensul, J. J. (2010). Designing & Conducting Ethnographic Research: The Ethnographer's Toolkit. Lanham: AltaMira Press.
  • Lumière, A., & Lumière, L. (Directors). (1896). The Arrival of a Train [Feature Film].
  • Lumière, L. (Director). (1895). Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory [Feature Film].
  • Marks, D. (1995). Ethnography and Ethnographic Film: From Flaherty to Asch and After. American Anthropologist, 97(2), 339-347.
  • McKee, A. (2001). A Beginner's Guide to Textual Analysis. Metro Magazine, 138-149.
  • McLane, B. A. (2012). A New History of Documentary Film. London: Continuum.
  • Nichols, B. (1991). Representing Reality: Issues and Concepts in Documentary. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
  • Nichols, B. (2001). Introduction to Documentary. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
  • Renov, M. (1993). Introduction: The Truth about Non-Fiction. In M. Renov, Theorizing Documentary (pp. 1-11). London: Routledge.
  • Rouch, J., & Morin, E. (Directors). (1961). Chronicle of a Summer [Feature Film].
  • Ruby, J. (1975). Is an Enthnographic Film a Filmic Ethnography? Studies in Visual Communication, 2(2), 104-111.
  • Shagrir, L. (2017). Journey to Ethnographic Research. Cham: Springer.
  • Spence, L., & Vinicius, N. (2011). Crafting Truth: Documentary Form and Meaning. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.
  • Ugwu, C. (2017). History of Ethnography: Straitening the Records. Academic Journals, 9(7), 64-68. DOI: 10.5897/IJSA2016.0670.
There are 36 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Communication and Media Studies (Other)
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Erdinç Yılmaz 0000-0003-1693-3481

Early Pub Date September 28, 2024
Publication Date September 30, 2024
Submission Date August 16, 2024
Acceptance Date September 16, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2024 Volume: 8 Issue: 16

Cite

APA Yılmaz, E. (2024). Your Turn as an Example of Multi-Modal, Ethnographic and Collective Documentary. The Journal of Social Science, 8(16), 124-137. https://doi.org/10.30520/tjsosci.1534469