Achieving an intimacy of knowledge and effect? The impact of documentary films in Europe

Jones, Huw D. (2021) Achieving an intimacy of knowledge and effect? The impact of documentary films in Europe. Audiences Beyond the Multiplex: Understanding the Value of a Diverse Film Culture, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom. 02 - 03 Mar 2021.

Abstract

A century ago, John Grierson wrote, “documentary can achieve an intimacy of knowledge and effect impossible to the shimsham mechanics of the studio”. Yet empirical research on the impact of documentaries is still limited. This paper addresses this gap by analysing the findings of a recent survey on documentary film audiences in Europe. The survey of 1500 respondents found that 97% had been affected by the experience of watching documentaries in some way, with 77% saying they had seen a documentary that had emotionally affected them. 70% had seen a documentary film that had improved their understanding of a particular issue, while 60% had seen one that had changed the way they think about certain issues. However, more proactive responses were less common – only 25% had seen a documentary that had encouraged them to take action, while just 19% had seen one that had encouraged them to change their lifestyle or behaviour. The documentaries most likely to encourage these proactive responses were often recently produced expository or performative documentaries that deal with the exploitation of animals (e.g. Earthlings,) or the wider human and environmental impact of consumerism in advanced capitalist societies (e.g. Super Size Me). Proactive responses were also more common amongst young people, post-graduates and respondents who tended to watch documentaries in cinemas rather than home platforms. This paper therefore concludes that documentaries do have an emotional or educational impact on most audiences in Europe, at least in the short-term. Yet their ability to encourage more long-term proactive responses (e.g. taking action or changing lifestyle or behaviour) is limited and depends significantly on the documentary’s form and subject-matter, the viewer’s age and education, and the platform or context in which the film is viewed. With documentary filmmakers under pressure from funders to demonstrate the impact of their films, these findings will be of relevance to industry professionals, alongside wider academic debates about audience reception.

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Contributors

Author: Huw D. Jones

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