Psuedo Documentaries and Film Reality

I have just finished watching a very well made, controversial, British make-believe documentary called "Death of a President" (2006) directed by Gabriel Range. Set in 2008, a year after the assassination of President George W. Bush, it explores the "rush to judgment" and the political effects on the nation. I liked the way they realistically integrated archival footage with their shot footage. They discuss it in the special features.

This film reminded me of all the "mockumentaries" (although many do not mock at all) that I have seen and some that I have meant to see. I've been thing about the earliest of this format. Of course we all remember October 30, 1938. (well maybe not exactly remember, I was born in 1947). It was on that Halloween Eve that Orson Welles scared the country with his radio adaptation of War of the Worlds. What made it particularly frightening was the simulation of real newscasts interrupting regular music programming. Real hysteria followed with people actually bringing guns outside to attack the invaders.

At Mock-Documentary: Subversion of Factuality there is a filmography listing many psuedo documentaries. Not listed is Haxan, Witchcraft through the Ages (1922), a Danish silent, "a documentary about the history of witchcraft, told in a variety of styles, from illustrated slide shows to dramatized events of alleged real-life events." (IMDB) (Blair Witch's production company is names Haxan)

Some highlights from the list:
Best in Show (2000)- mock docu-soap of competitors in a dog show (feature film)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)- horrific footage left by three vanished student filmmakers
Bob Roberts (1992)- satiric profile of an American right-wing politician
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) - a Kazakh documentary filmmaker attempts to understand American culture
Cannibal Holocaust (1979) - discovery of horrific footage captured by a film crew searching for cannibals (one of Blair Witch inspirations)
David Holzman's Diary (1967) - a young filmmaker tries to capture the reality of his life on film
Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) - behind the scenes look at a teenage beauty pageant
The Falls (1980) - exhaustive presentation of evidence of an apparent 'violent unexplained event' (One of Peter Greenaway"s first works)
Forgotten Silver (1995) - the claimed discovery of a long-lost New Zealand filmmaker (Peter Jackson)
The History of White People in America (1985) - examination of white, middle-class Americans
How to Irritate People (1968) - John Cleese offers instruction on how to irritate friends, family and workmates
The Last Polka: The Schmenges (1984) -Great satire of retiring musicians by John Candy. Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, and Catherine O'Hara.
Medusa: Dare to be Truthful (1992) - parody of Madonna rockumentary
The Office (2001-2002) - mock docu-soap focusing on the relationships between British workmates (Successfully repeated in a US version)
Real Life (1979) - a Hollywood filmmaker tries to capture a year in the life of a typical American family. This early American mock-documentary takes its cue from the prototypical docu-soap television series An American Family (1973), in which a documentary crew followed the lives of a 'typical' American family. Here Albert Brooks plays himself, as the driving force behind a film which attempts to 'document' a year in the life of the Yeager family of Phoenix, Arizona.
The Rutles - All You Need is Cash (1978) - parody of the Beatles
Series 7: The Contenders (2001) - a reality gameshow where contestants hunt each other
Special Bulletin (1983) - television news coverage of a nuclear terrorist event
Take the Money and Run (1969) - the career of a failed criminal
Tanner '88 (1988) - the campaign of an American presidential candidate
This Is Spinal Tap (1984) - classic mock-documentary about the career of a British band
Waiting For Guffman (1996) - mock docu-soap about the production of a small-town musical
Zelig (1983) - the biography of a famous figure from 1920s America ( Great Woody Allen)

Also consider:

Peter Watkins is a great Pseudo Documentary Director including Privilege, The War Game, The Peace Game, Punishment Park etc.

Threads (1984) "Documentary style account of a nuclear holocaust and it's effect on the working class city of Sheffield, England; and the eventual long run affects of nuclear war on civilization." A riveting nightmare of a bleak future with Nuclear Weapons in the future.

Oil Storm (2005) Documentary-style footage reveals the aftermath of disastrous events that disrupt the flow of oil to the United States. Scary pre-Katrina mocumentary about the effect a Katrina style Hurricane and a series of terrorist attacks have on the price of oil. This was better ae showing our dependence on oil than films such as Syriana.

This is not the end but a beginning of an interesting discussion of fake reality films. Some satirically funny, others brutally real designed to open our eyes to "real" possibilities.

How do you feel about "real" documentary films that manufacture scenes to illustrate the "truth" that they are telling? What about skillful editing that changes footage? Are some Government and educational films dangerously close to being mockumentary? Have you seen Wag The Dog?

Just questions.

I love the bumper sticker "Question Reality"