This course is about the journalist as a visual long form storyteller, in short, a documentarian. From Canadian journalist turned documentary filmmaker Donald Brittain, to US journalist‐documentarian Laura Poitras, journalists have gravitated to the in‐depth long form. Part of the attraction lies in its capacity for context, nuance, detail and clarity, underpinned by the essentials of journalism. Students will watch, analyse, and write about a curated program of documentaries. Discussion topics will include research, the documentary interview, aesthetic approaches to story telling, editorial decision making, and journalistic and ethical considerations.

Prerequisite: 60 credit hours or permission of Instructor