Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record. A 'documentary film' was originally shot on film stock — the only medium available — but now includes video and digital productions that can be either direct-to-video, made as a television program or released for screening in cinemas. "Documentary" has been described as a "filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception" that is continually evolving and is without clear boundaries.
In popular myth, the word 'documentary' was coined by Scottish documentarian John Grierson in his review of Robert Flaherty's film Moana (1926), published in the New York Sun on 8 February 1926, written by "The Moviegoer" (a pen name for Grierson).
Grierson's principles of documentary were that cinema's potential for observing life could be exploited in a new art form; that the "original" actor and "original" scene are better guides than their fiction counterparts to interpreting the modern world; and that materials "thus taken from the raw" can be more real than the acted article. In this regard, Grierson's definition of documentary as "creative treatment of actuality" has gained some acceptance, with this position at variance with Soviet film-maker Dziga Vertov's provocation to present "life as it is" (that is, life filmed surreptitiously) and "life caught unawares" (life provoked or surprised by the camera).
Albert Einstein ( /ˈælbərt ˈaɪnstaɪn/; German: [ˈalbɐt ˈaɪnʃtaɪn] ( listen); 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics. While best known for his mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc2 (which has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation"), he received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect". The latter was pivotal in establishing quantum theory within physics.
Near the beginning of his career, Einstein thought that Newtonian mechanics was no longer enough to reconcile the laws of classical mechanics with the laws of the electromagnetic field. This led to the development of his special theory of relativity. He realized, however, that the principle of relativity could also be extended to gravitational fields, and with his subsequent theory of gravitation in 1916, he published a paper on the general theory of relativity. He continued to deal with problems of statistical mechanics and quantum theory, which led to his explanations of particle theory and the motion of molecules. He also investigated the thermal properties of light which laid the foundation of the photon theory of light. In 1917, Einstein applied the general theory of relativity to model the structure of the universe as a whole.
The Zodiac Killer was a serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The killer's identity remains unknown. The Zodiac murdered victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969. Four men and three women between the ages of 16 and 29 were targeted. The killer originated the name "Zodiac" in a series of taunting letters sent to the local Bay Area press. These letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers). Of the four cryptograms sent, only one has been definitively solved.
Numerous suspects have been named by law enforcement and amateur investigators, but no conclusive evidence has surfaced. In April 2004, the San Francisco Police Department marked the case "inactive," yet re-opened the case at some point prior to March 2007.[dead link] The case also remains open in the city of Vallejo, as well as in Napa County and Solano County. The California Department of Justice has maintained an open case file on the Zodiac murders since 1969.
Plot
Directed by a person who stutters, 'Let Me Finish' share the personal experiences of Evan, Behnaz, and Joy; three life-long stutterers living in Austin, Texas. Through their compelling interviews, their group meetings at the National Stuttering Association Austin chapter, and expert testimony from leading UT Speech Language Pathologist Dr. Courtney Byrd, the documentary explores the physical and psychological effects of stuttering, dispels commonly held myths perpetuated by the media, and informs friends, family and others how they can help make communication a little easier for stutterers in their own lives.
Plot
Jay is the name of the two protagonists in the film. Jay Santiago is a gay TV producer documenting the family of a gay hate crime victim who happens to be his namesake, Jay Mercado. In the process of producing for his TV program, Jay Santiago intrudes into the private grief of the other Jay's family and he is drawn to the secret life and love of his subject. Warning: Do not believe everything you see as truth.
Keywords: ash-wednesday, brother, cabinet, cameraman, cards, cemetery, character-name-in-title, chicks, corpse, direction
Plot
Filmmaker David Diaan, an expatriate residing in Los Angeles , left his native Iran 24 years ago, unable to return due to the sudden and fierce changes that rocked Iran in 1979. However, motivated by a deep longing to visit his motherland and the recent easing up of tensions, he finally deemed it safe enough to pay a visit. Ready for a culture shock, yet haunted by fading memories of his childhood, Diaan filmed his journey with an adoring eye, eager to capture every moment. He cautiously traversed the streets without a crew or equipment, armed only with a hand-held camera small enough to hide from the authorities, hoping that somehow he would be able to smuggle his tapes out of the country without them being confiscated. Through candid and unrehearsed interviews on the streets, Diaan delves into the hearts and minds of a humble people surrounded on the one hand by the remnants of mythical Persia, and the encroaching realities of a modern world on the other. What strikes him most, however, is the beauty and promise of a bright new generation of Iranian youth that is sure to demand the freedom and the happinesss that the citizens of every land deserve.