Algunas observaciones sobre el documental histórico

Abstract

After making certain terminological clarifications and then situating the historical documentary in the dual position of non-fictional cinema and "historical cinema", the author reaffirms the common discourse which assumes both documentary and fiction to be of a historical order, which, however, does not prevent the clarification of those aspects which justify the typological diferentiation between film fiction and non-fiction. Fully situated in the orbit of non-fictional cinema, this paper establishes a repertoire of the diverse modalities included in this ambit: filmed news events, news bulletins, cinema "magazines", documentaries as such, family cinema and, lastly, the documentary montage, an area particularly well suited to historical work. From there, it proposes that documentary montage deserves more careful analysis of the diverse materials that comprise such montage, including as it does fragments of fictions and non-filmed elements; of the relationship between images and soundtrack; or the discursive strategies it employs, etc. Finally, the article closes with a reflection on the potentials of historical documentary en the production of historical knowledge and awareness.